


New Romantics

by kxsumis



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - 80s, Alternate Universe - High School, Bro and the condesce hook up, Drug Use, M/M, Multi, The year is 1983!, Underage Drinking, Violence, lots of references to old music
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-20
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-04-27 06:27:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 29,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5037376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kxsumis/pseuds/kxsumis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dirk Strider was always used to having his life planned out for him, and he was perfectly comfortable with it. He'd make it through his last year of high school, get a football scholarship, and move as far away from his older brother as he could. Just as he was coming to terms with the fact that he would be living out a pre-written life, he comes across Jake English. He was an adventurous brunette with eyes like emeralds and a smile like the sun, who would certainly not be living a pre-written life.<br/>Throughout the course of one school year, Dirk's world is flipped completely upside down, and he finds all of his morals being completely rewritten. He can't decide which is scarier, the fact that Jake is doing this to him, or the fact that he might want him to.</p><p>***RATED MATURE FOR EVENTUAL SMUT, LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE, DRUG/ALCOHOL USE***</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Property

**Author's Note:**

> So! This is my first Homestuck fic, so forgive me if it kind of sucks; I'm still getting the hang of it. 
> 
> Just to clear things up, this fic takes place in 1983, so I did have to do some research on the time period, and I apologize if some things are inaccurate. 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy this fic, and I can't wait for it to progress!

_Dirk_

_September 7, 1983_

I couldn’t necessarily say I wasn’t popular. I was the captain of the football team, and while he was in high school, my older brother was. The Strider name seemed to be pretty well-known throughout the school, whether it was because of football or the fact that all of us seemed to be painted as delinquents and outcasts-but we were completely welcomed at the same time. And because of my brother, by default, I was automatically painted the same way, as was Dave, the youngest of the three of us. Anyways, I wasn’t not popular. Because of the imminent _Curse Of The Striders_ , as I called it, I was obviously well-known. Captain of the football team, the "heartthrob of the school" and all of the rest of that cliched bullshit; and on top of all of that, I was my brother’s brother. Nothing more, nothing less.

Despite the _Curse Of The Striders_ , I tried to stay on the down-low as much as I could, and I guess you could say I’d been doing pretty well for the past three years. People knew shit about me, but they didn’t really _know_ shit about me. Why? Simple. I never allowed myself to open to people. Especially not romantically. You see it in movies, you read in in books. Love, no matter how true you force yourself to believe it is, is a lie. A dirty lie that always ends in heartbreak. I’d had my fair share of heartbreak. I wasn’t about to nosedive straight into more.

The first day of school couldn't have come sooner. I didn’t necessarily mind school; it gave me a good excuse to not be at home. I could stay late after school in the library to study, because I sure as hell wasn’t going to get any in at home. With Bro constantly up mine or Dave’s ass, I could barely sit down and get a second of peace. Not to mention the fact that if I did any little thing wrong, I’d have to face Bro. And not in the, ‘you’re not allowed to watch TV for the next two weeks’ sort of way. No, I wish it were that easy. Instead, it was the way that made Dave and I afraid to go home after school at night. And to see a Strider afraid of something was definitely something. Because, of course, Striders weren’t afraid of anything.

I managed to roll out of bed that morning after the obnoxious beeping of my alarm clock disturbed my admittedly peaceful sleep. But of course every time I sleep it seems peaceful, probably due to the fact that I never do it. I lazily rummaged through my messy drawers, pulling out my favorite Metallica tee-shirt. I slip it on, a quiet yawn escaping my lips. Sliding my jeans on, I walk into my bathroom and examine myself in the mirror.

I don’t feel like this is my last year in high school. My last year of being plagued with _The Curse Of The Striders._ I don’t look any different from my Freshman year; at least, I don’t think I do. I still have the same sandy blonde hair, the same brownish-orange eyes. The same freckles lightly dotting my nose and cheeks. The same dark circles under my eyes that were beginning to seem permanent.  

I think about what might happen after high school ends, where Roxy and Jane will end up, how Dave will get along without me. What Bro will do now that he only has one little brother to pick on instead of two. Where _I_ might end up. It wasn't as if I had much choice in the matter: Bro already had that decided for me. I'd do what he couldn't do. I'd get a scholarship for football to go to some rich kid school, and spend the rest of my life paying for Bro's mistakes.

After my parents died, I didn't care what happened to me as long as I was away from here. Away from all of the memories this old, creaky house held. So, if I could carry that out, I could handle living the way Bro wanted me to. Whether it be across the country or on the other side of the world, playing football or living in the streets, as long as I was far away from here-far away from _Bro_ -I could be content. Ugh, what was I saying? I could move to the moon and I wouldn't be far enough away from this God forsaken place. 

After brushing my teeth and taming my mane of hair, I made my way out of my room, already greeted by the obnoxiously loud bass of Dave’s boombox sounding through the thin walls of his room. Bro must’ve already left for work, because if he were here, he’d be throwing a fit. Dave was listening to the Sex Pistols.

I hate the Sex Pistols.

I knock on his door before pushing it open, the previously muffled music now  blasting throughout the entire house. Dave peeks his head out from his bathroom, his toothbrush bobbing from between his teeth. He’s already dressed, his rip-off Michael Kors sunglasses resting on the top of his head. He had the same color hair as me. The same intensity in his eyes. The same freckles.

“Hurry up, I’m heading outside! The bus’ll be here any minute.” I call over the Sex Pistols currently giving me the strong urge to rip my ears off. Dave turns back to the mirror before holding a hand up, flashing me a nonchalant thumbs-up.

I grab my plain, black hoodie from the hook hanging by the door and head outside, the morning sun causing me to squint for a moment before my eyes could adjust. I look across the street, and I see a moving van. It was about time someone moved in there, it’d been vacant for as long as I could remember. 

I can still hear the Sex Pistols as I make my way toward the bus stop, nearly halfway down the street.

 _B_ _ody! I'm not an animal! Body! I'm not an animal!_

* * *

I'm sitting in the bus. I'm almost never late for it. I've made it a habit to get here early so I wouldn't end up with a shitty seat. However, since my neighborhood was one of the bus's last stops, it was sort of inevitable. 

I didn't really belong to any groups or cliques, though some naturally lumped me with the Preps and Jocks, which I didn't really have any problems with. I did, however, have problems with being lumped with people like Cronus Ampora and Meenah Peixes, the slimy, rich kids who act like their shit doesn't stink just because they have rich families. I doubt I am ever really associated with them, though, because I really hate them, and people would be oblivious not to notice, but I try to stay on good terms with them, because _I_ would have to be oblivious to not see that they could ruin my life with the snap of their fingers. So, to avoid sitting with any loud, obnoxious groups, I sit towards the middle of the bus, next to the window, just like the last three years I've taken this bus to school. There's always an empty seat next to me. I guess I was just unapproachable. Cronus and Meenah and the rest of their minions sit in the back of the bus, and they let everyone know that no one else is allowed to sit there but them.

I grab my Walkman and my headphones out of my bag, sitting back in my seat and relaxing. I can still hear the commotion of the bus through them, and I find it quite annoying. I'm not gonna let it get to me, however. I need to at least have a good first day before I automatically start acting bitchy to everyone. I settle on listening to the Kinks. We still have a few minutes before the bus moves on in case anyone arrives late. Dave is sitting towards the front with the rest of the sophomores, next to his friend Jade Harley. She worked at the record store with Dave, where I usually hang out after school if I've finished my studying. Jade had wild black hair and wore glasses with dramatically big, circular lenses that I'd heard other girls make fun of. I was sure she heard them, but it was clear she didn't care what they thought. She smiled over at Dave, silver braces lining her crooked teeth. They weren't terribly crooked, and you could hardly tell that they were. I'd just known her for so long I'd seen her enough times to notice. I'd sit with Roxy and Jane, but Roxy lives close enough to school to walk, and Jane's dad always drove her. I sigh quietly, tapping the tips of my fingernails against my Walkman. The music was beginning to drown out the rest of the world the more I focused on it. 

 _I'll be in touch, don't worry, I'll be calling you._  
_I've got no plans, I'm not sure where I'm going to._

 The bus began to roll to a start, and I rested my head against the window. And then it jerked to a stop, catching me off guard. I sit up straight again, craning my neck to see what could possibly be going on. There was someone standing outside the bus, and I see the bus driver roll his eyes and open the doors for them. 

_I've taken everything I need,  
Now all that's left belongs to you._

I already decide I'm uninterested before I even see who it is. I move my fingers to crank up the volume on my Walkman, and then out of curiosity, I look up to see who it was. 

 _You take the photographs, the ones of you and me,_  
_When we both posed and laughed to please the family._

He is a shorter boy with wide, green eyes and wild, brown hair, like he just stepped inside after it's been windy. He wears thick-rimmed glasses that seem to tie his face together perfectly. He has olive skin, and there are freckles scattered all over his face. I'm willing to admit, he's definitely easy on the eyes. He has sharp features that seem soft at the same time, as if the sharpness is blurred, and thick eyebrows that make him look like his default expression is a mixture between thoughtfulness and wonder. His tan cheeks are tinted pink, from embarrassment I'm assuming. I'd be embarrassed if I almost missed the bus, too. I've never seen him before, so I'm guessing he must be a new kid. He certainly looks nervous. He's gripping onto the straps of his backpack so tightly his knuckles are turning white. In conclusion, he looks like a total nerd. I examine his outfit. He's wearing khaki shorts that looked just a bit too short. Okay. Maybe not _too_ short. Perfectly short. And he's wearing a Black Sabbath tee shirt. Huh. 

 _Nobody noticed then we wanted to be free,_  
_And now there's no more love, i_ __t's just the property._ _

He starts walking down the isle, looking around nervously. Had he never rode on a school bus before? Or maybe it was just the fact that he knew no one here, and he had nowhere to sit. I decide to be uninterested again, just when he starts heading for the back of the bus. Oh, fuck, oh fuck. Turn around, you idiot. I pause the song and slide my headphones off, turning to watch him. Cronus is eyeing him like he's new meat-which he is. Wonderful. But why the fuck do I suddenly feel responsible for this kid? 

And what does the idiot do next?

He strolls right up to Cronus, a big grin playing his lips. "Hi there," He says, his voice dripping with a heavy English accent. "I'm Jake; do you mind if I sit here?" He asks, eyeing him nervously. I have to admit, I'm a bit impressed. His grin doesn't waver once. His grin looks award-winning. Cronus is definitely a hell of a lot taller than Jake, and he could probably snap him in half like a fucking twig. Just as Cronus is about to open his mouth, I find myself speaking, surprising myself. "It doesn't look like there's much room back there," I say, scooting closer to the window. Cronus is glaring at me. "You can sit with me."

Jake is looking at me now, his eyes wide. Did he look at everything like that? Like they were new and exciting, like he'd been seeing the world for the first time. It was childlike, innocent. His face breaks into another one of those grins as he turns on his heel and walks toward my seat, plopping down next to me. "Thank you," Jake says to me, leaning in close so Cronus wouldn't hear him. "He doesn't seem very friendly."

"He's not," I reply, shooting a glance over at Cronus. He's not paying attention to me, he's snickering with one of his friends, probably about Jake, but he doesn't seem to notice. 

"What's your name?" He asks, searching my face so closely it seems as if his eyes caught on each and every one of my freckles, as if he thought they deserved time to be examined as much as the rest of my face did. "It's Dirk," I reply, stuffing my headphones and Walkman into my bag, assuming I probably won't be listening to any more music this morning. 

"Dirk." Jake repeats. "You were the one who walked out of the house blasting the Sex Pistols this morning."

"How'd you know that?" I ask, cocking an eyebrow at him. He already seemed weird enough, was he stalking me now or something? "And yeah-unfortunately my brother is a fan of them. I hate them."

"I'm moving into the house across from your's." Jake says, sitting back. He's tapping his foot. I look down to see he's wearing boots. They look like hiking boots. "Me too," He adds, glancing over at me before looking away to face the front of the bus. 

"You like Black Sabbath?" I ask, gesturing at his shirt.

Jake smiles, nodding. "Yeah, they're one of my favorites."

"Me too." 

We rode the rest of the time in comfortable silence.


	2. Hopelessly Devoted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know its been for-fucking-ever since i updated this, but barE WITH ME OK.  
> BUT DESPITE MY CRAZY SCHEDULE, HERE IS CHAPTER TWO!  
> Anyway, if you want to chat, please feel free to leave a comment, and you can reach me on tumblr and twitter.  
> Tumblr: toastedackerman  
> Twitter: adidastooru
> 
> ENJOY!!

_Dirk_

 

Jake English and I sat next to each other every morning and every day after school from that day on. We didn’t talk much, but when we did, it was about music and movies and comics.

“I don’t really know what my favorite is,” I’d said one morning after he asked me. “I’d have to say Batman, I guess, if I had to chose.” Jake crinkled his nose, kicking the seat in front of him. “Superheroes aren’t my thing; too cliched, I suppose. The Swamp Thing is definitely more my speed.” He replied, tapping his fingers against his thigh. Jake was always fidgeting, as if his body couldn’t completely contain his natural excitement with the world.

We only had a few classes together: English, history, and drama. We never sat together at lunch, but sometimes I would see him pass by, and other times I wouldn’t see him at all. I’d learned that he loved movies, like Indiana Jones and Star Wars. If you even mentioned them around him, he could talk for hours. Unfortunately, the ride to school was only fifteen minutes, because I would definitely listen to him. His eyes lit up when he talked about things he loved. The corners of his eyes wrinkled like silk when he smiled. One of my favorite times of the day was drama. I loved watching Jake recite the lines to the class; he treated the bland classroom full of students that couldn’t even care less like it was the stage itself, moving around the front of the room dramatically, a sense of wonder in his green eyes that I had never seen before.

“The fault, dear Brutus. Is not in our stars,” He spoke out to the class, confidence dripping from each word like melting wax.

Jake and I didn’t talk when we weren’t on the bus. I’d assumed we just weren’t good enough friends yet, and I couldn’t decide if I wanted to be. Of course, part of me wanted to be-but friends weren’t really my thing. It’d always just been Roxy, Jane, and I. It’d be strange to have a new addition, especially now that this was my last year. But still...I didn’t know why, but even the thought of Jake was enough to send my head spinning, just enough to make my heart race.

“But in ourselves,” Jake continued, pausing briefly, his eyes surveying the room. For a moment I thought that maybe they met mine. I probably only imagined it.

“That we...are the underlinings.”

* * *

 

I didn’t ride home with Jake that day. Instead, I walked down to the record shop where Dave, Jade, and I worked. I didn’t have to work that day, but I loved hanging out there, and I also didn’t want to go home to face Bro-there was no way of knowing if I’d be catching him in a bad mood. Anyway, we always had the newest songs playing, and I wanted to see if any new vinyls had come in, even though I was sure Dave and I owned every good vinyl known to mankind. Striders always had the best music.

I pushed the door opened, my backpack lazily slung over my shoulder, hearing the familiar jingle of the bell hanging on the door as it opened. Dave was standing behind the counter, lazily flipping through a magazine, a box of apple juice in his free hand. _Hopelessly Devoted_ from Grease was playing from a record player in the back room. 

“Hey,” he murmured, without looking up.

“Hey,” I replied, scanning the shop. “Where’s Jade?”

He looked up, tilting his head toward the other side of the store. “In the back, looking through all the new shit that just got here. There’s a killer Smiths tee shirt back there.” He set the magazine down, taking a sip from his apple juice before tossing the empty box into the trash can. I set my backpack down on the counter, a soft sigh escaping my lips as I made my way to the other side of the shop to look through some records.

“Hey, who’s that kid that’s been sitting next to you on the bus?” Dave asked, leaning against the counter.

I glanced over at him before looking back to the records, flipping through them.

_The Ramones, End of the Century._ Had it _._

_Duran Duran, Rio._ Had it _._

“Jake? He’s no one, really.”

Dave cocked an eyebrow at me, eyeing me from behind his dark sunglasses. “He doesn’t seem like no one. You look at him all googly-eyed, like, all the time. It’s pretty obvious you have the hots for him.”

I felt my cheeks heat up, and I hoped my cheeks weren’t turning red. “Well, he _is_ nobody,” I replied, my voice even. _The Rolling Stones, Tattoo You_ . Had it. “And I don’t look at him googly-eyed all the time, I’m hardly ever with him.”  

“So you admit that you look at him googly-eyed?”

I looked over at him, narrowing my eyes. Every time I made eye contact with anyone, Dave automatically assumed I had developed a new crush or some bullshit, but he and I both knew very well that I never got crushes, and preferred being single. I don’t think I or anyone else was prepared for me to fall in love with them. It was much simpler that way, and I never allowed myself to get caught up in the social politics and monarchical bullshit of the hell that was high school. I didn't expect shit from anybody, and nobody expected shit from me. It was bad enough that I was expected to follow in the footsteps of my brother, I wasn’t about to become more known than I already seemed to be because of some nonexistent romance with someone I had a nearly nonexistent friendship with. Not to mention, it was safe to say the Striders could be placed on a sliding scale from “Good With People” to “Stoic Asshole” and let’s just say I definitely wouldn’t fit into the first category.

I went back to the records. “You know what I mean. And even if I did like him like that, It wouldn’t go anywhere. God knows what Bro would do if he found out tha-”

“That you’re gay?” Dave interrupted me, flipping through that magazine again.

I shot a glare over at him, heat pricking my cheeks. “Christ, Dave, bag your face!”

“What?” Dave chuckled, holding a hand up in mock defense. “Bro isn’t here, he can’t hear me. And it’s not like business is fuckin’ booming or shit, no one’s here but you, Jade, and I.” Much like any other day, in all honesty. Everyone usually hung around the bigger, more mainstream record stores, but I didn’t care. This shop was like my second home, and definitely more welcoming than my actual one.

"And _you_ don't look at _John Egbert_ all googly-eyed?" I shot at him, looking up at him with narrowed eyes. 

"Pft, of course not," Dave said nonchalantly, but it was simply common knowledge that Dave and his childhood friend, John had a thing for each other. despite their constant claims of being straight. "And even if I _did_ , I'd have no trouble getting him, because everyone wants a sip of this cool glass of water."

I gave up looking through the records, pushing my jaw forward in annoyance. “Bite me.” I muttered. I probably looked like I was pouting, but I didn’t care.

“You guys talking about that Jake kid?” Jade walked in from the back, holding a black tee shirt in her hand. “He looks kinda weird. I heard that he was from England or something. I have biology with him, he sounds like James Bond when he talks. He always sits alone during lunch reading and stuff, and we’ve been in school for, what, a week now? Why don’t you ever sit with him, Dirk?”

I shrugged, leaning against the table the boxes of vinyls were set on, a bit annoyed that suddenly all attention was on me. “He _is_ weird. And because of that, if I were to happen, even more attention would be drawn to me and that’s the last fuckin’ thing I need on my smokin’ hot plate of bullshit.”

Jade rolled her eyes. “Maybe you should, he looks lonely.”

“I doubt he’s lonely. Jake is always doing his own thing.” Which, he was. He was like me, in that aspect-basically the only way he was anything like me, really. He’d rather stay at home and read or practice lines from some play than go to a party at some prep’s house. He’d rather skip school and go out to some place in the middle of the woods and have a smoke than attend football games or spirit rallies. It made me jealous, how naturally free he was. Nothing to weigh him down. When he smiled, it was like all weight was lifted off your shoulders for a minute. Jake English wasn’t about to let someone tell him how to live and who to be. He was free, free, free.

Jade shrugged, walking over to Dave. “Here’s that shirt you wanted.”

“Rad.” He smiled, holding it out in front of him.

As if on cue, I heard the bell jingle in the front of the store, and I looked up to see Jake English standing in the doorway. I could already feel Dave's eyes on me. I couldn't see it, but I knew that shit-eating smirk was playing his lips as he turned to pretend he was doing something.

"Dirk!" Jake exclaimed at the sight of me, a smile shaping his soft features. You had to be kidding me. No one was this happy all the time, no one was this happy to see me. No one really smiled like that. He was wearing a plain, black shirt, ripped jeans.

"Hey, Jake," I replied, probably seeming a lot less enthusiastic than he was. I flashed him a small smile, but I was positive it was nowhere near as bright as his. Jake's smile could light up the entire room, mine was nothing compared to his. I felt awkward, and nervous, but I didn't know why. It was always so easy talking to him on the bus, but then again all we talked about was music, comics, and movies.

“You work here?” Jake asked, tilting his head to the side. He always tilted his head after asking me questions.

I nodded, glancing over at Dave who was watching us from behind his glasses, tapping his foot against the ground, pretending to read his magazine. God, I’d be getting so much shit from him later. “Yeah, I do.”

“I’m still looking for a job,” Jake replied, walking over to the box labeled ‘new releases.’ “I checked out one of the other record shops, but when I saw that those jerks who always sit in the back of the bus worked there, I gave 'em a big ole fuck you and I was out!”

“They haven’t been giving you any shit, have they?” I asked him, cocking an eyebrow. I felt oddly protective over him, just like I did the first day I saw him.

“Huh? Oh, no,” Jake sifted through the vinyls, his brows furrowed as he read each title. “They mostly just avoid me, but I can always see the weird glances they give me.”

“They give everyone weird glances,” I murmured, trying to stop my eyes from wandering over Jake’s body, catching on how his shirt hung loosely over his upper body, how the short sleeves were tight on his shoulders, how his ripped jeans clung to his legs in all of the right places. I could see some of his tan skin peeking through the ragged holes in the fabric.

“And here I thought I was special,” Jake joked. I couldn’t see his face, but I knew he was rolling his eyes, and I could hear the smile in his voice.

"You're not special to them unless you're one of them," I said, looking back up to face him. Shit, I totally wasn't being sneaky about this at all, and from my side vision, I could see Dave smirking. Fucking dick. 

Luckily, Jake didn't notice my wandering eyes, much like he didn't notice  _a lot_ of things. Sometimes, he didn't necessarily prove to be the sharpest knife in the drawer. However, he was definitely smart in his own, weird way, between his ability to recite every science fiction movie you could think of word for word, and his ornate vocabulary. 

"Would you like to walk home with me?" Jake asked me. 

Fuck, there it was. The next chance to get attention brought to me. Nope, wasn't gonna risk that shit. "Actually, I'm-"

"He's off today, so he would be happy to walk you home." I heard Dave's obnoxious voice chime in. Fuck, fuck, fuck, I was definitely turning red under my shades. 

I was gonna get Dave back for this: maybe I could pour ice water on him while he was showering tomorrow morning. I knew I'd have enough time, because Dave, much like any other Strider, takes the longest showers and always uses up the hot water. 

"Yeah? Well, how splendid!" Jake exclaimed, not even bothering to ask who Dave was. He turned to me, that big grin on his face yet again. "Shall we be off, Strider?" 

I nodded, trying not to seem as pissed as I really was. I doubted Jake could tell, anyways, even if it punched him in the face. 

"Yes, you two should be _getting off_. See you later." Dave waved us off, that annoying little smirk creeping its way onto his lips again.

With that, Jake and I made our way out the door. 


	3. Starman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> =

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayye finally an update that's on time. Anyways, sorry if this chapter was a bit slow but the next chapters will be GREAT. I have so much awesome shit planned, yo.  
> As always I hope you enjoy. Feel free to leave some feedback, ask questions, or maybe just leave a comment if you wanna chat! You can also always leave an ask at my tumblr, @.toastedackerman.  
> Thanks!

_ Dirk _

_ September 18 _

 

“I’m so sorry about my brother,” I said as we walked down the sidewalk. The day was warm, and the sun cast a lazy glow through the branches of the trees. Summer was going to be ending soon, and the sunny weather was still holding on, as if it wanted to go out on a good note. 

“He was your brother? I thought you two looked alike. And you have the same snappy wit!” He glanced over at me, a small smile on his face, but even his small smiles seemed like they were brighter than the sun. 

God, Dirk, don’t make it gay. 

“I guess so. We probably got that from our bro.” I shrugged, shoving my hands in my pockets nonchalantly. 

“You have  _ two  _ brothers? You never talk about your older bro.” He stated, kicking a pebble on the sidewalk towards a lawn. 

“I have my reasons for that.” I said shortly. I probably sounded more defensive than I meant to, and that probably made me sound like a dick. Jake didn’t know why I didn’t talk about him, I didn’t need to crucify him for just asking. 

“Well, I won’t push.” He said softly. 

We walked for a while in comfortable silence. A soft breeze blew through the trees, causing some of the leaves at our feet to rustle around us. It blew through Jake’s dark hair, and he threaded his fingers through it gently. Fuck, he was cute. 

We were finally nearing my house, and I prepared myself for the explaining I’d have to do when I’d meet Bro at the door. ‘He’s just a friend’, I’d say. ‘He’s nobody.’ Which was completely wrong, but I was used to lying to Bro to avoid jeopardizing my happiness-which I rarely had. But when I did, I liked having it around. Jake was a helluva lot more than ‘nobody’. I didn’t even know what he was, myself; a crush? A friend? A potential partner? All I knew was he wasn’t just ‘nobody’. Looking at his eyes was like enlightenment. It was like looking into Jake’s eyes-or even just having him near you-made you want to be a good person. His eyes made you see who you really were, who you wanted to be, and who you’d never be. I’d never be anything like Jake English. Striders aren’t good people. Or, maybe they are, but I’m some kind of exception. Jake...well, he was a good person. He really was.

At this point in my fucked up train of thought, I didn’t really care if Bro was home or not. “Hey, wanna do something fun?” I asked him, watching Jake’s face light up.

“I’m all for fun things, Strider!”

“Then come with me.” 

I took his hand. Yep, I actually took his fucking hand, like I was Prince Charming and he was Cinderella and I was leading him to my fucking golden palace or some shit. Well, I certainly wasn’t a prince, and I certainly wasn’t taking him to a palace. 

I led him to my house and around the back to a ladder Bro had installed when Dave and I were little kids. “Are you afraid of heights?”

“Actually, a little…” Jake admitted, tensing up a bit. He gripped my hand gently, which made my heart shit itself. 

“Don’t worry. I’ll help you up.” I said to him, moving back so he could get to the ladder. 

He stared at it for a second before letting my hand go. Slowly, he stepped onto the ladder and started to climb up. I followed suit, enjoying the view. And not of the scenery surrounding my house. Jake English’s ass was literally right in my face. Christmas had come early this year, folks. 

Eventually we made it up to my roof, and Jake stood up reluctantly. 

“Boy howdy, Strider! What fun!” He exclaimed, grinning to himself and placing his hands on his hips, looking around the neighborhood as if he owned it. I didn’t see what was so fun about climbing a ladder, but then again, Jake could find fun in opening a bottle of pop. 

“Yeah.” I replied, studying him. He took in his surroundings like he’d never see them again, breathing in the warm, summer air. 

“Do you hang out up here often?” Jake asked me, turning to face me. 

“I did before school started.” I answered, walking over to the edge and taking a seat, allowing my feet to hang over the side of the house.  

Jake followed me and sat beside me. 

“It’s nice up here.” Jake said. “It almost makes me forget that I’m afraid of heights!”

“I’m glad,” I said, watching Jake as he kicked his feet back and forth like a toddler. Seriously, how did this kid’s parents put up with him?

“Anyways, I wanted to ask you something.” Jake began looking over at me. 

“Okay, shoot.” I said, wondering what he could possibly ask and thinking about what I  _ wished  _ he’d ask me. 

“So, this weekend, as sort of an ‘end-of-summer, one-last-shebang’ type thing, the drama club is going to put on a party!”

“The drama club has parties?” I asked jokingly. 

“Gosh, Strider, I get that you’re the quarterback and all that jazz, but the drama kids aren’t like a different species than you or something!” He huffed, crossing his arms. 

“All right, all right, I’ll refrain from insulting you and your nerd friends any further. Please, go on.” A smirk found its way onto my lips as I studied his pouting face from behind my shades. 

“Thank you. Anyways, they’re throwing a party, and I was wondering if you’d like to go with me.” 

My heart skipped a beat, and I stared at him as he looked at me expectantly. I was never one for parties. Every time the football team threw one and I was invited, I always made up some excuse to avoid going. But this was the drama club. I doubted it’d be anything totally unbearable. Plus, Roxy and Jane were in the drama club, and they’d probably end up going. Plus plus, Jake had asked me to go with him. Would it be a date or something? Did Jake just ask me on a date? 

“Earth to Strider? Did you hear me?” Jake asked, waving a hand in front of my face mockingly. 

“Yeah, I heard you,” I rolled my eyes. “Sure, English. I’ll go with you. But, please, no Shakespearean reenactments this weekend.”

“Right-o, Mr. Strider!” Jake exclaimed, clapping his hands. “It’s a date!”

You see, I hated when people used that term. ‘It’s a date.’ The fuck is that supposed to mean? We’re going on a date? It’s a date your marking on your calendar? And of course it’s no better when you’re dealing with Jake of all people. While he had quite the vast vocabulary, his communication skills were lacking, especially when it came to romance and any other social cues. I could fucking tell the guy I’m in love with him and he wouldn’t realize what I’d said until weeks later. 

“Yep. It’s a date.” I said. 

Jake looked down at the watch on his wrist before looking back to face me. “Well, I’ve got to get home. I’ll meet you here on Saturday, and then we can head to the party!”

I stood up and offered my hand to Jake, nodding. “Yeah, sounds good.” 

He took my hand and pulled himself up. 

“I’ll see you later, Dirk.” He said softly, shooting me a small smile. The wind picked up once again, ruffling Jake’s hair. He was still holding my hand. 

Oddly, we stood there for a moment in comfortable silence. I looked at him, he looked at me, and for a second I thought we might kiss. But, of course, we didn’t, and he let my hand go as he made his way back towards the ladder. 

I followed him and tried not to pout. 

I was about to let him go when Bro stepped out of the front door, and my heart stopped beating. The air was sucked out of my lungs. He stood in front of us, his arms crossed and his eyes piercing through my skin like daggers. 

“Boy howdy, Dirk!” Jake turned to me, his eyes bright, a smile on his face. “Is this your older brother?” 

“You’ve heard of me?” Bro asked, pretending to be interested. 

“It’s quite the pleasure to meet you!” Jake said, offering his hand out to Bro, who didn’t take it. 

“You too.” Bro said, not moving a muscle. 

Jake must have felt as uncomfortable as I did, and he slowly pulled his hand away. 

“Yes, well, I’ll see you on Saturday, Dirk.” Jake said softly, glancing at me one last time before turning to walk across the street, back to his house. 

“Who’s your friend?” Bro asked once he was sure Jake couldn’t hear him. 

“Jake.”

“Jake?”

“Jake.”

“Who’s Jake?”

“You just fucking met him.”

“Dirk, don’t be an asshole.”

I sighed. “A friend from school.”

“I see.”

“He’s nobody.” My mouth was dry. 

“Whatever. Come inside for dinner.” Bro replied, turning to walk back inside.

I was left outside alone. 

* * *

That night before going to sleep, I laid in bed, listening to Starman by David Bowie on my walk man. I tapped my foot to the beat, my eyes closed. I remembered Jake telling me this was his favorite song earlier in the week, and I was beginning to love it, too. It reminded me of him. In a strange, melancholy way, the song made me think of nothing but adventure. Jake was the most adventurous person I knew.

Maybe he loved it so much because he related to whoever the Starman in the song was supposed to be. Maybe I did too. Maybe we both related to him, and while we were both completely different people, we both were on the same adventure. That adventure being life. Kind of a shitty adventure 90% of the time, but I’m sure it will turn out to be great once you’ve reached your destination. I turned my walk man off and set it on my nightstand along with my headphones, but the song still rang in my mind.

_ There's a starman waiting in the sky _

_ He'd like to come and meet us _

_ But he thinks he'd blow our minds... _

  
  
  
  



	4. Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaa im sorry this took a while to update. Homestuck ended and i kind of lost all of my motivation due to emotional exhaustion. ;-;
> 
> Aaaaaanyways, here is the latest chapter, and i promise things will get gay(er) soon. Also, i already have a lot of chapter five written out so that update should come a bit sooner! 
> 
> Dont forget that you can contact me at my new tumblr url, windi-cuffs.
> 
> ENJOY!

_ Dirk _

It was the saturday of the party with the drama club. I didn’t know what to expect from going to a party thrown by the drama club. Maybe it’d be super awesome, like even though all of the drama kids were a bunch of total geeks they were really cool as fuck behind the scenes. Or maybe it’d be incredibly lame, and we’d be sitting around a coffee table playing UNO and reciting lines from  _ The Tempest  _ or some shit. Then I remembered that it wouldn’t be so bad because Jake would be there. I found myself feeling a bit more enthusiastic. 

It was eight o’clock in the morning, and I was at school for football practice like every other Saturday. Unfortunately, all the tools of the school were on the team. The only actually tolerable player was Rufioh, who was actually super chill. He and his brother, Tavros, threw parties every weekend which were infamous for the craziest shit to happen. Every week, I heard new gossip about what went down. I’d only been to one, and I was too drunk to remember what exactly went down, but I remember being dared to make out with Eridan Ampora. I don’t think it was anything fantastic, and he kind of tasted like sushi.

I sat down on the bleachers, running a hand through my gross and sweaty hair, taking a long gulp of water from my water bottle. The sun was shining lazily over the football field. I could hear birds chirping in the background, mixed with the sounds of the grunts and frustrated groans of my fellow teammates. God, I was sick of this sport.

Practice ended about two hours later, and I made my way into the locker room with the rest of my team, chatting with Rufioh about his plans for this weekend’s part and overhearing some shit talking between Cronus and Kurloz. However, Kurloz was unresponsive as always, so it was really just Cronus talking the entire time. I couldn’t quite make out what he was saying, and I really didn’t care.

We made it to the locker room, and Rufioh and I parted ways when I walked over to the showers. I stripped down once the area was abandoned and turned the water on. I shuddered as the hot water run down my cold body. I ran my hands through my hair with a soft sigh and rested my forehead against the shower wall and closed my eyes.

I heard footsteps echo throughout the shower room. Usually, I didn’t like showering when other people were, but I was too tired to really care this time. Plus, there was a curtain separating each stall. The person got into the shower next to mine on the left side.  

“Strider.” He said. Lovely. It was Cronus.

“Yo.” I replied, probably sounding just as annoyed as I felt. I didn’t give a fuck about how I came across to this posh, self absorbed asshole.

I heard the water turn on from his side, and he spoke louder over the sound. “You don’t have ‘ta be so hostile all the damn time.”

“I’m not. I just don’t like being interrupted.” I said shortly, staring at my barely-visible reflection on the white shower wall as I turned off the water.

“Fair enough.” Cronus said.

There was a pause.

“So.” Cronus began again. “Rumor has it you and that Jake English kid have been gettin’ pretty close.”

“Yes. And?” I grit my teeth. Cronus was a vile person. Someone so horrible didn’t deserve to speak Jake’s name. I pulled the curtain away and wrapped a towel around my waist. I walked over to where I threw my clothes and shoes. I wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible. Being around Cronus just gave me a sour taste in my mouth, no matter what the situation. However, now he was mentioning Jake, and that made me feel even more freaked out.

“Nothing,” Cronus said, shutting the water in his shower off and following me out. “It’s just…”

“Just  _ what _ ?” I hissed, turning around to face him.

He was probably two or three inches taller than me. He had a toned body; much more toned than mine. He could probably kick me to fucking jupiter. His arms were crossed and his usually slicked back, dark, black hair spilled onto his forehead in wet locks.

“You’d best not let your Bro find out, Chief.” Cronus said.

My blood ran cold and I felt my heart stop in my chest for a moment. I was never one to leave an argument without going down without a fight, but I grabbed my clothes as quickly as I could and hurried out of the showers and into the locker room. I got dressed and didn’t see Cronus again before I ran home as fast as I could.

* * *

When I got home, Bro was nowhere to be found. Probably still at work. Dave was in his room, blasting some loud, annoying song by U2. Dave was always in his room. I always referred to it as his lair. If you went into Dave’s room without his permission, death would ensue. The amount of times I’d gotten annoying lectures from him after playing pranks or looking for a certain album was so many I had stopped keeping track. Regardless, I planned on pouring ice on him when he took his nightly shower before I left for that party with Jake.

Fuck. That party with Jake. My maybe-date with Jake was tonight. I figured I could get an hour or two of sleep in before I’d get up to officially start my day. Football practice was draining enough, and that little chat I had with Cronus only added to my usual exhaustion I had with life. I walked down the hallway and into my room, stripping from my shirt and flopping down face first onto my bed.

I rolled over onto my back and stared up at the ceiling, the sound of U2 blaring through the house until I heard it abruptly pause. The phone was ringing, and Dave’s frazzled voice was heard from his room.

“Oh, hey, John!” I heard him.

I decided not to listen in on his conversation today, and rolled over onto my side.  _ Today will be nice _ , I told myself. No school, no Bro. Just Jake and I. Well, Jake and I and all of the drama geeks. But maybe tonight, when he and I are alone together, I’ll finally try to make my move. But how? Jake was too oblivious to pick up on literally any social queue, it was ridiculous how he even knew how to communicate at all. Maybe I’d give him one of my amazing, authentic, Strider pick-up lines, or maybe I’d just kiss him abruptly without any warning, like ripping off a band-aid.

For now, I was too tired to be scheming.

Now, it was time for a fucking nap.

Eventually, I fell asleep to the muffled sound of Dave’s voice from the other room, and the traffic of the city blocks away.

I stood in front of the mirror. Jake was gonna be over in about fifteen minutes, and my hair was choosing now of all times not to cooperate. I tried everything: smoothing it with water, hair gel, hairspray; I even tried showering again, but I still ended up looking like a recreation of my eighth grade school picture. And of course, when Jake would arrive at my house in the next few minutes, he’d look stunning as ever without even trying. I envied the fucker.

I decided I’d just leave it be. Jake wouldn’t care, and all I’d be doing tonight was hanging out with the drama kids, who probably tried nothing to make themselves look perfect for parties, or Shakespearean study circles, or whatever this fucking thing would end up being. 

I still hadn’t decided how I would make my move. Not while I pondered it over lunch, or when I was pacing my room before going into the bathroom to try to maintain my mane of hair. I felt pathetic. A Strider never lost his charm, but mine was taking its sweet fuckin’ time to join the party.

I rubbed my face under my shades. I needed to stop overanalyzing shit. Tonight would be fine. I’d have a good time with Jake and the drama nerds, maybe drink a beer or two, and I’d come home and sleep. Simple. Bro wasn’t home, luckily, and I told him Jake and I were going to Jade’s to study for a history test.

I heard a knock at my door and nearly lept out of my shoes. That would be Jake.

“Um, coming!” I called, rushing out of the bathroom and taking a deep breath.

Tonight was the night that marked when I, Dirk Strider, would finally make a move on Jake English.

I was greeted by his smiling face, as always. He was wearing perfectly short shorts and his signature green jacket, along with a white shirt with a green skull on it. He’d told me a while ago he had a weird obsession with skulls and skeletons.

“Hello, Mr. Strider. Are you ready to leave?”

“Yeah.” I said, glancing at Dave’s bedroom door. i  could hear the annoying sound of The Sex Pistols through his bedroom door. I hate The Sex Pistols. “Give me a sec.”

I hurried into the kitchen and pulled an ice tray out of the freezer, popping the ice loose and walking back over to Dave’s room, making sure to be extra quiet as I opened the door. I made my way passed his desk, which had a bunch of weird, preserved insects that I never understood, and empty cans and boxes of apple juice. He also had a bag of doritos on his nightstand. Hey, that’s where those went.

That fucker.

I snuck into the bathroom where he was currently taking another one of his three-hour-long showers, an evil grin creeping onto my face. I slowly reached up above the shower curtain’s rod, only to dump the ice from the ice tray right onto his head. I dropped the ice tray and made a run for it the second I heard his gasp and saw him peek at me from behind the curtain.

I slammed his bedroom door behind me, but I could still hear him scream from the front door where Jake stood across from me. 

“ _ DIIIIRK _ !”

Jake peeked around the corner before looking up at me with one eyebrow raised. “Uh, is he..?”

“He’s fine. Shall we go?”

Jake smiled and nodded. “We shall!”

And with that, he and I walked to his jeep together, the evening sunlight still bright enough to softly kiss my cheeks with its warmth. Maybe Jake’s lips would feel like the sun.

Dave would be getting me back sometime soon, but I didn’t care. That was totally fucking worth it. What a great start to tonight, and I had a feeling things would only be getting better.

* * *

 

 

Jake’s jeep was nothing amazing. It was a deep green color, and the top had rips and tears all over it. The passenger seat door was missing, and the wheels were so huge even I had trouble stepping up into the car. Jake, on the other hand, had to jump up. 

He buckled up and looked over at me, his big teeth peeking over his lips as he smiled.

“Don’t mind my driving.” He said simply, and before I knew it he was revving up the engine and we were on the road.

Jake English’s driving described in one word: reckless. I wasn’t sure how he even had any luck in passing his driver’s test. He swerved across the streets, sped down the highway; I think he even ran a stop sign or two. I held onto my seat belt so tightly my knuckles were turning white, but Jake just kept driving like he didn’t have a care in the world. Which he didn’t. Jake was too free to be bothered with feeling down.

The party was at some kid’s house in the middle of nowhere. When the daylight began to fade and Jake drove me into the forest in the outskirts of town, I wondered if he was driving me to a party or if he was looking for somewhere to bury me. When we pulled into the driveway, I was thanking God that I was still alive. Jake’s driving was enough thrill for the next year of my life.

“Well, we’re here! And we made it in no time. I reckon tonight will be wonderful. What about you, Strider?” He turned to face me once we exited the vehicle and walked to the front door of the house.

“Huh?” I was still in a daze. Maybe my brain had gotten all mushed from the amount of times we’d zig-zagged down the road. “Oh, yeah. I do reckon we’ll have a good time.”

“Wonderful!” Jake shoved his car keys into his back pocket with a smile and rang the doorbell.

“FUCKING HELL!” I heard someone yell from inside. “John, stop eating all the fucking goldfish.”

About a second later, a short, pale kid answered the door. Jake was probably only about an inch taller than him. The dude looked like he hadn’t slept in five years. I’d seen him before in drama, but I never really cared enough to talk to him or really pay any attention to him at all. All I knew was he was angry about some random thing 80% of the time.

“Jake, perfect, you made it.” He said, a bit of excitement in his voice. Well, there was excitement until he looked over and saw me, of course. “What the fuck is he doing here?”

“Karkat,” Jake said, an awkward-sounding giggle escaping his mouth. “This is Dirk. He’s one of my good pals.”

“I know who he is.” Karkat said blankly, shooting daggers in my direction. “Why is he here?”

“Why, I invited him of course!” Jake said cheerfully, rubbing the back of his neck. I’d noticed he did this when he was feeling nervous.

“Why?”

“Didn’t I just tell you? He’s my friend. He doesn’t bite.”

“Of course he doesn’t bite,” Karkat said, keeping his beady little eyes aimed right on me. “But he’s still friends with all the fucktards who constantly give us shit.”

“I’m not friends with them,” I cut in, the thought of my recent meeting with Cronus causing my blood to boil. I wanted to tell him about it to prove him wrong, but Striders never rat anyone out, and they also never show any weakness. This pissy Karkat kid didn’t even know me and he was already assuming shit. The life of a Strider at its finest. People had already painted a picture in their mind of who you were and how you acted without even speaking a word to you.

“All right, whatever.” Karkat gave in, ushering us into the house with the lazy gesture of his hand to enter.


	5. I Want To Hold Your Hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, an update thats on time! I actually wrote this on the 20th and put it on queue. Look at me, being on top of shit.  
> I really hope you enjoy this chapter, and Im sorry it's a bit short. The next ones will be a bit longer!  
> And i know you are awaiting the gay, and i can assure you: its coming soon. Dont worry. (AND ALSO, yaay a little bit of Jake's POV!)
> 
> Another thing, I was wondering if maybe youd like maybe a few intermission chapters from daves point of view to highlight some johndave?? Idk let me know by commenting or sending an ask to me on tumblr or somethin.
> 
> Dont forget that my tumblr is windi-cuffs, and i love hearing your feedback so dont be shy!
> 
> ENJOY!

_Dirk_

 

Karkat’s house was nothing spectacular, but then again, neither was mine. His house was humble and small, but there was still enough space for all of his furniture to fit in nicely. His kitchen, which was off to the side, smelled of salsa. Maybe he had made some homemade for the party.

Speaking of the party, this certainly wasn’t selling as one. Luckily, no one was standing in the living room at the coffee table reciting Shakespeare. Even still, I decided not to hold my breath. Next to one of the table’s legs was a bag with papers, folders, and binders in it. There could still be some hardcore _Tempest_ tonight. Jake, Roxy, Terezi, Meenah, Damara, Jade, Eridan, Rose, Kanaya, Jane, John, Karkat and I were the ones who had decided to attend tonight.

“Meenah?” I asked, taking a seat next to Jake on an empty spot of the couch, joining John and Jane. “You don’t really seem like the drama type.”

“I ain’t,” Meenah said, sitting back and crossing her legs. “I needed some extra points or else my mom is gonna fuckin’ grill me.” Meenah’s mom was Her Imperious, herself. (A.k.a., our principal.)

“At least make it sound like you want to be here a LITTLE bit.” Karkat said, obviously a bit frustrated with her genuine lack of excitement.

Meenah just rolled her eyes, whispering something to Damara, who giggled.

“All right, fuckers. I know most of you don’t want to be here, so I’m gonna make this shit quick, and then we can continue on to party-like activities.” Karkat grabbed a packet of papers clipped together from the bag.

“Party-like activities?” Eridan asked, slurring his v’s and w’s together like he’d been doing since, what, second grade? “W-What do you mean by ‘party-like activities’?”

“I don’t fucking know, fish brain.” Karkat sighed, sifting through the papers. “I don’t really go to or host parties very much. From the movies I watch people just either mack on each other, get drunk, and/or dance to ridiculous music like imbeciles. So, maybe that.”

“Do we have to do the macking on each other part?” John asked, raising his hand half way, like he was in class. “Because I don’t really want to mack on anyone here. No offense, aha..”

“Holy _SHIT_!” Karkat said, and I thought I could slowly see his hair turning gray. “I really don’t care what we do after this! Could you just let me say my part and then we can get on with it?”

John quiets down, and so does everyone else.

“Thank you,” He said, letting out a sigh of relief. “So, Terezi and I have been planning out this year’s play for months now, and we’re finally ready to share what it is.” Karkat paused, and Jake smiled hugely, leaning forward with anticipation. “This year, we will be putting on... _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_.”

The response was a mixture of “Yes’s!”, “Ugh’s!”, and “What?’s”.

“Is that even allowed?” Rose asked, looking at Karkat with disbelief.

“Well, yes and no.” Terezi chimes in, smiling deviously. No one bothered to ask her what she meant by that.

“Like it or not,” Karkat began passing the papers out. “We’re doing this shit.”

I didn’t really give a shit what play we would be putting on. Usually, I was never chosen to do anything but costumes or lights or something.

Until I saw the cast list.

 

**MAIN CAST:**

**Frank N. Furter:** Jake English

 **Rocky Horror:** Dirk Strider

 **Janet Weiss:** Roxy Lalonde

 **Brad Majors:** John Egbert

 **Eddie Ex:** Rufioh Nitram

 **Columbia:** Damara Megido

 **Magenta:** Meenah Piexes

 **Riff Raff:** Eridan Ampora

 

**CREW:**

**Director:** Karkat Vantas

 **Prop master:** Terezi Pyrope, Rose Lalonde

 **Costumes/Make up:** Kanaya Maryam

 **Lights:** Jade Harley, Sollux Captor

 **Music:** Dave Strider

 **Moral support/food supplier:** Jane Crocker

 

“Fuck that.” I said out loud, shaking my head and setting the paper on the coffee table. “I’m not playing Rocky.”

“Who else is gonna play Rocky?” Karkat asked urgently.

“I don’t really know. I also don’t care. I refuse to prance around the stage wearing nothing but bright, gold, skin-tight shorts.”

“Dirk, come on,” I felt Jake’s hand on mine, and I look up to see him looking at me with big eyes. His voice was soft, and I could hear the plea in it. Wow, this drama shit meant a lot to him, apparently. I felt butterflies in my stomach, and I could barely say no. “It could be fun.”

I sigh and rub my face with my free hand. “Fine.” I mutter.

Karkat just stood there, probably plotting my death step-by-step. “Glad that’s cleared up. Any other temper tantrums while we’re at it?”

I rolled my eyes, eliciting a bashful, yet grateful smile from Jake.

Nope. You definitely won’t be able to say no to Jake English.

* * *

 

The group (but mainly Roxy and Terezi) decided to play a round of Truth or Dare. Probably out of desperation to keep this thing going. I was 99% sure that the majority of the people here were only in the drama club to get some points for extra curricular activities-like Meenah and I-and a good amount of people in the club even still didn’t show up.

I’d also noticed that Dave was signed up to work on music, and I had a growing suspicion that was because of a certain black-haired, blue-eyed boy who was sitting across from me, waiting for the game of Truth or Dare to start. I had to hand it to my brother, I knew that Karkat probably never would’ve accepted Dave to work on music, or anything having to do with the drama club, without actually being in it. I wonder how much money he offered him.

“Who wants to go first?” Roxy asked, sitting down next to me, crisscrossing her legs.

“I guess I’ll start.” John said, a wide grin on his face. I’d begun to realize how similar he looked to Jake. He had the same big eyes, the same overbite, the same black, naturally wind-swept hair. No wonder your brother liked him. “Kanaya,” He says, shooting a devious look over at his friend. “Truth or Dare.”

“Truth,” Kanaya replied, looking less than pleased that she was the one John chose.

“Who do you have a crush on?”

That was a bit evil, especially for Egbert. We all knew she was completely head-over-heels for Rose, who just-so-happened to be sitting right next to her. If Rose returned those feelings, no one knew for sure. But Jane and I had bet money that they were secretly dating behind everyone’s backs. I would be getting my $2.

Kanaya’s face grew dark red, and she glanced around the room nervously. “I...John. I believe you know who I’m interested in.”

“Well, yeah, but everyone here might not!”

“They really don’t need to.”

“Come on! Don’t be such  a party pooper.”

After about a minute longer of arguing back and forth, John had won, and Kanaya glanced over at Rose bashfully. The room erupted into over-exaggerated “ _OOOOOHs_ ” and laughter.

About twenty minutes of stupid crush-related, sex-related, and anything personal-related questions went by before I got my first, unfortunate inquiry.

“D-Stri,” Roxy said, giving me a smirk and a prompt eyebrow waggle.

I sighed. “Dare,” I said, before she could even ask the question, and soon after I began internally debating who may have thought up this stupid, worthless game.

“I dare you toooo,” Roxy drew out the ‘to’, making this even more painful than it needed to. I was thoroughly convinced that she was a sadist at this point. “...kiss the person in this room that you’d want to date.”

Immediately, everyone laughed and I heard another round of those annoying “ _ooohs_.”

My throat went completely dry, and I tried to swallow the lump forming. It was immediately replaced by a warm, tingly feeling in the pit of my stomach. I felt like I was on a large, roller coaster drop, but I wasn’t wearing any harnesses or safety gear. I glanced around the room, ignoring Jake’s devious smile of anticipation. The boy had no fucking clue.

Until I, like an idiot, locked eyes with him.

That’s when all the laughter and music in the room faded into the background, and the only thing that mattered was the deep, green color of Jake’s eyes, and the soft wrinkles around his them from all of the smiling he did. It reminded me of a silk blanket. The way freckles dotted his cheeks like small, paint brushes’ splatters. The way his thin lips parted in anticipation or confusion, I wasn’t sure. Jake was either thinking, ‘ _Holy shit, he’s gonna kiss me_ ’ or ‘ _Holy shit, why is this weirdo looking at me like that_?’

I sure fucking hoped for the first option.

I almost did it.

I almost let the world go and I almost kissed Jake English.

And then we were interrupted.

“Karkat Vantas.” Another, taller looking Karkat walked into the room, his arms crossed over his horrendously bright, red turtleneck sweater.

Part of me was relieved we were interrupted, but another part of me wanted to strange the turtleneck guy.

“What in _HEAVENS_ is all of this? Is that _beer_? I’d expect this utterly immature nonsense from Meenah, perhaps, but _YOU_ , Karkat!” The taller Karkat made his way over to us, picking up the numerous, empty cans and bottles of beer.

“Oh, can’t you just go self-loathe in your room or somefin’, Kankri?” Meenah groaned as she watched.

“I will _NOT_. You hoodlums have subjected my poor, young brother to immature and dangerous things. Teen drinking, smoking, and drug use is ILLEGAL!”

“Your poor, young, brother?” Karkat demanded, standing up to stare Kankri down at (almost) eye level. “I’m a year younger than you! Stop acting like you’re fucking Isaac Newton or something because you got to skip senior year!”

Jake jabbed my side with his elbow. “Should we leave?”

I nodded, and we slowly made our way around the arguing siblings, and out the door.

* * *

 

_Jake_

 

The night was chilly. A brisk breeze blew through the air, causing me to shudder. The sun had barely set, and was straining to peek over the horizon as if it wanted to tell the world one last thing. The sun would have to wait until morning to talk about it, and now it was time for the moon to take its place.

There's music playing silently on the car radio, and I strain my ears to hear what song it is.

It's the beatles.

The lyrics of I Want To Hold Your Hand play through the car, barely audible over the sound of the wind.

 

_Yeah, you've got that something_

_I think you'll understand_

_When I'll say that something_

_I wanna hold your hand_

 

Earlier, I honestly convinced Dirk was going to kiss me, and I didn’t necessarily know if that was a good thing or not. I knew I had some feelings towards him. He was absolutely wonderful. Even though he was quiet and a bit apathetic overall, there was simply something about him. He always listened to my stories, and put up with my oblivious nature. Yes, I was aware I was super freaking oblivious, and yes, I knew I needed to work on it!

Anyways, back to Dirk.

I’d always been terrified of commitment and anything involving the feelings of another person. Even things simple as friendship creeped ME out. Months ago, my grandmother and I lived on an island in the Pacific Ocean. There was really nothing fancy about it, except for the fact that the area I lived in was out in the middle of nowhere, and there weren’t really many neighborhood kids lining up to hang out with me. So, I spent my days with my grandmother, baking and storytelling and anything else a kid would love to do. But because of this, I never really became great at socializing. My grandmother home-schooled me up until now, so joining a big, public school was a bit of a sticky wicket. She knew moving away from the island would be hard on me, but she was getting old, and she had to get out of there, as much as I hated to admit it. I didn’t want to leave, but I didn’t put up an argument when it was time to.

So I was shipped out to New York with her, and thrown into a completely new life, with no knowledge of how to make friends, and ESPECIALLY not how to make boyfriends.

And now here Dirk was, this boy that I thought was only possible to find in the storybooks my grandmother read to me when I was a child.

The car ride back to our neighborhood was silent, and I couldn’t decide if it was comfortable or not. As always, I had no idea what Dirk was possibly thinking. I glanced over at him, greeted by his usual face of stone and eyes that were even harder and colder, but at the same time, had a sense of wonder and beauty looming over them.

“I had fun tonight, for the most part.” I say, breaking the silence. “Thank you for joining me.”  
“No problem,” Dirk says, sounding disinterested for the most part, but that was how he always sounded. Maybe he was having some mixed feelings toward the Almost Kiss, like I was. Maybe he was hoping to have another go at it. Maybe I was delusional, and he really was just disinterested.

The song has faded to another that I don’t feel like listening to.

I look out at the sky once again, making no attempt at further conversation with Dirk.

I begin to wonder what the sun may have wanted to say.

Dirk drops me off at my house, parking my jeep in a much nicer and neater way than I ever could.

“Well,” I say after Dirk and I have hopped out of the jeep, forcing a smile and walking over to face him for the last time tonight. “Again, thanks for coming with. Sorry about Karkat, by the way, he can be a bit...much…”

“It’s really no problem. And a bit much?” Dirk snorts, nonchalantly leaning up against my jeep in a way that has to be illegal. “That’s an understatement. Calling him ‘a bit much’ is like calling the Revolutionary War a ‘bit of a disagreement.’”

This makes me laugh, and I roll my eyes at him jokingly. I see a small smile creep onto his face, and I want to scream. A happy, giddy scream, of course.  
“Well, I’ll see you on Monday, Mr. Strider. Or maybe if you’re feeling up to it, we could get some coffee tomorrow!” I say, hoping I’m not rushing him too much.

“Maybe. Bro might want me to help around the house tomorrow, but if I’m free, then I don’t see why not.”

“Right-o! Good night, Dirk.” I say, giving him one last smile before stepping inside, closing the door. I walk over to the window and watch him walk back to his house, his hands in his pockets, nothing but the light from the streetlights and moon guiding him.

The moon definitely has a lot to say tonight.


	6. Do Me, Baby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so before you read this chapter you should know that it is kind of heavy. 
> 
> Firstly, there is some discourse between Dirk and Bro, and one of Dirk's lines implies abuse, and the f slur is said.
> 
> Second, there is some underage drinking/drug (weed) abuse. 
> 
> Third, there is finally some smut at the end, which is descriptive and NSFW. (speaking of which im sorry if the smut isnt stellar lmao this was my first time writing smut alone)
> 
> ANYWAAAAY, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Don't forget to leave a comment or send me an ask on tumblr. 
> 
> ENJOY!

_Dirk_

 

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of crows cawing outside of my bedroom window, and the sun’s bright rays shining through the curtains. I yawned, rolling onto my back and resting my forearm over my forehead. I strained my ears to see if I could hear any sounds in the house, and I soon realized that John was over. I couldn’t quite make out what he was saying, but I could hear the distinct hum of his voice. How late had I slept? Too late to hang out with Jake?

I rolled out of bed and walked over to my window, pulling the curtain back, my eyes squinting against the afternoon sunlight. Jake’s car wasn’t parked in his driveway, and I let out a sigh. Eventually, I got dressed, brushed my teeth, and slowly made my way out to the living room.

“You’re cheating!” John said, and I noticed that he was holding some cards.

“We’re playing fucking Go Fish, John,” Dave replied, pushing up his shades with his free hand. “This game is for, like, ten-year-olds. It’s not even worthy to cheat at.”

“You must have looked at my cards.”

“I’m sitting across from you.”

“Well, whatever!” John said with a huff, grabbing another card from Go Fish deck.

I walked into the kitchen, and John saw me, peeking over from the couch. “You’ve been sleeping all morning, we were starting to think you were dead!”

“Unfortunately, I’m not.” I reply, opening up the extremely inviting refrigerator. I reached for the carton of orange juice. “Where’s Bro?”

“Don’t know.” Dave replied shortly. “At work or something.”

I took a swig of orange juice from the carton.

“Do you have any fives?” Dave asked.

“Ha _ha_! Nope! Go fish.”

Dave reached for the pile of cards sitting in between him and John. “Dirk, Jake came by asking where you were while you were asleep.”

I grabbed an apple from the refrigerator and keep the carton of orange juice before making my way over to the couch, taking a seat next to dave. “Why the fuck didn’t you wake me up?”

“I offered to, but Jake insisted I didn’t, and said he’d come back by later. I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t wake you up, though. I was gonna get you back after that ice-in-the-shower stunt.”

“Do you have any nines?” John asked, looking at his cards intently, his eyebrows furrowed. I reached for the TV remote. Dave handed John a card.

“For fucks sakes, John. This game is boring.” Dave said.

“There’s not much else to do!” John added the card to his pile of pairs, and I turned on the TV. I flipped through the channels before settling on _The A-Team_.

“There’s a fuck ton more to do than play Go Fish. We could walk downtown or something.”

“Let’s just finish this game. It’s your turn.” John huffed, gesturing to Dave’s cards with his free hand before taking a sip out of his bottle of Pepsi.

They don’t quit playing Go Fish, despite Dave’s constant complaining, but John seems to be enjoying himself, and that’s probably the reason why Dave hasn’t gotten completely pissed yet. An hour or so passed of their bickering and episodes of _The A-Team_ that I’d already seen two or three times, but I didn’t care, because _The A-Team_ was fucking cool.

Eventually, I heard a knock at the door. I immediately hopped off of the couch.

Opening up the door, my heart was pounding, and only continued to when I was greeted by the one I’d been waiting to see all day: Jake.

“Howdy, there, Mr. Strider! I’m glad you got a good rest.” He said, in his naturally chipper voice.

“Howdy, English.” I reply, not being able to help the stupid grin that creeps onto my lips. But Jake seems happy to see me, and that was all that mattered.

“I hope it’s not too late to go out.”

“It’s definitely not. Bro isn’t home and Dave is occupied.”

“Perfect! Well, are you ready to go now?”

“Yeah, just give me a sec to change.” I stand away from the doorway, gesturing for Jake to follow me in. He walks in after me, looking around the place, and I really hope he doesn’t hate it.

“Hey!” John exclaimed, poking his head out from the living room. “You’re the one with the cool accent.”

Jake chuckled. “You have a cool accent, as well.”

John looks at him quizzically. “What? No I don’t. I sound like everyone else.”  
“And in England, _I_ sound like everyone else.”

I left them to chit chat and made my way back into my bedroom. Now that Autumn was quickly approaching, the weather was getting colder, which meant I could no longer go outside in only basketball shorts and my tanktops. Dave said the tanktops made me look like a douche, to which I’d promptly say his shades made him look like a douche, to which he’d scoff.

I decide on a black hoodie and some jeans, and before walking back out to leave with Jake, I examine myself in the mirror. The same blonde hair. The same orange eyes. The same freckles. I was ordinary. But then, I get a glance at someone like Jake, and holy shit. Once you’ve met someone like Jake, you never meet anyone like him again. No one will have the same emerald eyes or bright smile or chipper way of talking. No one will ever have the same carefree outlook of life. I wondered why Jake would ever want to hang around someone as boring as me.

I walk back into the living room, where John is listening to Jake’s stories from his old island home. Jake sees me, and promptly cuts himself off.

“I’ll tell you more later, John.” Jake says, and John nods, a big smile on his face. He reminds me of a toddler.

Jake and I made our way outside, and I joined him in his car. We decided to go to the pizza place.

As he drove, I wanted to bring up the night before, even though nothing even happened. I wanted to tell him how I felt, and I wanted him to tell me if he felt the same. I wanted to tell him how much I wanted to kiss him, and I wanted to know if he wanted to kiss me, too. It sort of seemed like it during Truth or Dare, but he was a bit tipsy, and I didn’t want to jump to conclusions or get my hopes up.

He kept driving, and we didn’t talk. But the silence wasn’t uncomfortable, and I could watch Jake as he drove. The faces he made, the way his eyes caught on certain small things while he drove. The way the green of the trees reflected off of the emerald color his eyes were. He was stunning, and I really wanted to kiss him.

Eventually, we arrived at our destination, and Jake excitedly hopped out of the jeep. I soon followed, and noted the curves of his hips that I could see through his perfectly short shorts, and how they swayed from side to side with each step he took.

The pizza parlor was loud and obnoxious as always, and I could already feel a headache coming on from the screaming kids in the arcade and the smell of the pizza, which reminded me of dirty socks. Luckily, there were some seats outside by go carts, and hopefully it would be more peaceful out there.

Jake made his way over to the counter and ordered, looking over at me from time to time to ask what I wanted, and I just mumbled the first response that I could think of, because my mind was far too wrapped up in Jake English’s smile and voice.

We made our way out to the tables, and Jake was balancing the large pizza box and his cup of iced tea.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to carry the pizza?” I’d asked.

“I’m sure!” He insisted.

Once we settled in, Jake sat back and folded his arms behind his head, and a part of his shirt lifted up, so some of his tan skin was exposed. I tried not to look. Jake was looking around the place. There was a go cart track behind us, and a mini golf course further up. I’d come here once with Rufioh and some other guys from the football team.

“Do you believe in heaven?” Jake asks suddenly, and I raise an eyebrow.

“What?” I ask, a bit caught off guard.

“Sorry,” He blushes. “I was just curious.”

I consider this question, taking a sip of my orange soda. “I don’t know. I want to, I think.”  
“I don’t know, either.” Jake says softly, his eyes somewhere else, thoughtful. “Do you believe in God?”

“No.” I say simply.

“Why not?”

“Because I think it’s bullshit. Some all mighty, divine creature created the entire world in, what, five days? That’s some serious elbow grease for five days. And everyone is always saying that he creates everyone in his image, and wants everyone to be happy and accepts everyone and shit. Then why are so many people unhappy? Why do people have to die and suffer? If God was real, my parents would still be alive, and Dave would’ve been able to grow up like a normal kid.” I stopped myself when I realized I was getting a bit too intense, and Jake was looking at me with wide eyes. “I’m sorry.” I say quietly, taking another drink.

“I don’t believe in God either.” Jake says, shrugging, sipping on his iced tea. “I think he was made up to make people feel better about bad things. A storybook, like the kind that children read to understand things.”

I nodded.

We’re quiet for a moment.

“If heaven were real, do you think you’d make it there?” Jake asked me softly.

I didn’t answer for a few minutes, listening to the breeze softly rustle the stray leaves that had fallen to the ground, the crackling noise of them being dragged across the sidewalk. The distant sounds of children’s laughter, and the loud music and sound effects coming from the arcade games. I thought about Jake’s question rather deeply. Would I make it to heaven?

All my life I’d heard the annoying extremist Christians going on and on about how gay people would go straight to hell, and that loving who they loved was an unrepentable sin. Assuming that this pie-in-the-sky, all powerful sky deity were real, I probably wouldn’t make it to heaven, because 1.) I was gay as fuck and 2.) I was kind of an asshole in general. I guess, in the end, it all depended on if you were a good person in life. But that only opens up an entirely new can of worms, because everyone seems to have a different definition of what a “good person” is.

To some, a good person was someone who dedicated their life to God. The ones who took vows of chastity, the ones who decided to spend time at some glorified storytelling session on Sunday instead of sleeping in. To me, if you wanted to waste your time on religion, good for fucking you. Go do whatever. Become a nun. Preach on street corners. Eat stale bread. Whatever. However, the people who decide to become utter Jesus freaks could also discriminate against people who don’t believe the same things that they do. The same people who claim they worship some font of love and compassion could also be the people who yell racial slurs at innocent people, the ones who beat up gay people simply for wanting to love who they love comfortably. So does that really make them good people? I don’t think so.

“No.” I say after a while, and Jake’s eyes are still somewhere else.

“I think you would. I think you’re a good person.” Jake said.

There it was again, the infamous “good person”.

“What is a good person, Jake?”

“I don’t know. Someone who’s not a complete asshole.”

“What’s ‘not an asshole’, though?”

“I don’t know,” he says again, shaking his head. “It’s hard to explain, Strider. I just think you’re a good person.”

“You don’t know me all that well, English.” Which was true, he didn’t. He knew the person I wanted to be. The person who wore a mask

“I don’t have to. I just know.”

I avoided arguing with him. “Do you want to go to Rufioh’s party with me tonight?”

“I don’t know if I’m really invited.” He shrugged, his eyes finally trained on me again. “That lot doesn’t like me much, you know.”

“Rufioh likes everyone, and even if he didn’t, he likes _me_ . I think he’d let it slide if I brought a guest. Come on, take a break from drama club parties and join me for a real one.”  
Jake considers this, and then sighs with a small smile. “All right, I don’t see why not.”

We talk the rest of the time in better spirits.

* * *

 

Jake dropped me off at my house to get ready, even though the party started hours from the time that he did. Now, we would be leaving in about thirty minutes. I sat at the kitchen table, tapping my foot anxiously. Dave was in the living room, and I could see the back of his head as he sat on the couch. John was still there, but he had fallen asleep next to Dave, his head on the opposite arm of the couch.

For hours, my mind had been devising all kinds of scenarios about what could happen at the party, and most of them weren’t exactly PG, and by the time I’d spent around ten minutes thinking, I already had a bit of a tent forming under my jeans. I didn’t care, though. Usually, I never let myself think about Jake in this way, but I was giving myself some leeway.

Until Bro walked in, giving me an expectant look from behind his shades. Immediately, my horniness was turned into frustration, and all of my thoughts began to fade away. I couldn’t help but feel a bit of fear pooling up in the pit of my stomach, however, and I wanted to scream, because I shouldn’t be afraid of my big brother.

Bro didn’t say a word, he just stood there, looking at me in stoney silence.

“Where are you going?” He asked finally.

“Out.”

“Where?”

“To a party.”

“With who?”

“Since when were you my fucking mother?”

“Since your fucking mother died, Dirk. I don’t see anyone else lining up to take care of you.” He said this in a stern voice, and I felt a knife of hurt stab into my heart, and his overall apathy laced with his words only twisted the blade. Dave could hear everything being said, but he stayed completely still, his eyes locked on the TV, as if he’s a painting.

“I’m going to a party with Jake.”

“Jake.” Bro repeated. “Word around town is that Jake kid is a faggot.”

I stood up, slamming my fist onto the wooden table. I saw Dave flinch from the corner of my eye, and I cursed myself for allowing my little brother to see this. And then I curse myself for allowing my little brother to see a lot of things he’d seen.

“Don’t fucking call him that, Bro.”

Bro eyed me, and I eyed him. It was only then that I realized I was almost as tall as him, but he was still just as intimidating as he’d always been.

“Don’t take that tone with me, Dirk, or I swear to fucking God I will-”

“You’ll what?” I cut him off, and I could feel the anger radiating off of him. I knew I was on thin ice, but I kept skating. “Are you gonna hit me, Bro? Go right ahead. Maybe it’ll make you feel like more of a man.”

Dave’s jaw clenched.

Bro recoiled, staring down at me for a good minute, and time moved by painfully, the sound of the clock ticking enough to make me go insane.

“Don’t expect me to greet you when you get back home.” With that, he turned and walked back to his bedroom, slamming the door so hard the picture frames dotting the hallway shake.

Dave remained silent, and I saw him glance over at John, who was incredibly still asleep. I couldn’t tell exactly what he was thinking, but he looked tired, and older than he actually was, as if he’d aged a year or two over the course of the five minutes my argument with Bro lasted.

“I’m sorry.” I manage.

“Yeah,” Dave says softly, and turns back to face the TV, turning up the volume.

Dave was sensitive when it came to Bro. He’d always believed Bro hated him, so he tried his best to impress him, thinking some day he may grow to love him. Dave didn’t love Bro in the slightest, but he admittedly idolized him. Ever since he was young, he’d always wanted to ‘grow up strong like his big bro.’ I knew he wasn’t talking about me, because when Mom and Dad died, Dave closed himself off, and began to only trust Bro for quite a long time. Until he grew old enough to understand things; how people worked, how much the world fucking sucked. He told me he didn’t trust Bro anymore, but I knew he did, because Bro was manipulative, and he had Dave wrapped around his finger. He still wanted to be like Bro, or who he _thought_ Bro was; stoic, strong, brave. To me, Bro was nothing but a fucking coward.

I heard a knock at the door, and I practically ran to answer it. I needed some time away from this house. Moreover, I needed to be drunk, having sex with Jake English.

“Hey there.” He says.

“Hey.” I replied, and I glanced at Dave over my shoulder.

“Are you gonna be okay?” I asked him cautiously.

“Yeah, have fun.” He said dryly, and I decided to avoid further attempt at conversation.

“Ready to go?” Jake asks.

“Always.” I reply, and I lead him to my car.

* * *

 

I didn’t picture Jake as the type to have any desire to drink or get high, but maybe the party’s atmosphere changed that, or maybe he was even more adventurous than I’d originally thought. So far, he’d had a beer and smoked a shit ton of weed with Rufioh himself, Jane, Roxy and one of Karkat’s friends, Gamzee Makara, who was a tall kid who always came to class stoned or hungover, or both. I wondered why Karkat wasn’t here for a second, and then I remembered Kankri, and how any bad behavior from Karkat would only trigger Kankri to go off at him again.

Jake and I had been at Rufioh’s party for an hour and a half or so now, and it didn’t take much time for Jake to settle into the crowd. It also helped that Roxy and Jane happened to be here. The party for the most part was outdoors, because the Nitrams lived on a gigantic property out in countryside. This made it easier for them to throw loud, big, and illegal parties. Tonight, there was a bonfire lit out among the trees, and everyone who wanted to socialize was gathered around it. Everyone else was probably inside seeking more food to help with their cases of the munchies, or off fucking somewhere. I envied those people.

I’d had around four red solo cups of whatever the fuck, and I was sitting on one of the lawn chairs set around the bonfire. Roxy sat next to me, tapping her fingernails against her cup, her eyes locked on the blazing fire in front of us. My eyes were locked on Jake, who was dancing to the music playing from Rufioh’s sound system in a way that I thought was downright destructive to whatever sanity I had left. He had to have been doing it on purpose. The sensual lyrics of the music boomed throughout the property.

 

_Here we are looking for a reason_

_You to lay me down_

_For a love like ours is never out of season_

_So baby please stop teasing me_

 

He swayed his hips in an enticing way, not too slowly, but enough to keep up with the music. His hands were in the air over his head, and occasionally he’d run them through his hair to push his bangs out of his face. It wasn’t necessarily dancing, just more like rhythmic, sensual movements, but I wasn’t complaining. I saw him flash a smile over to Jane, who was also dancing along to the music.

I heard Roxy giggle from beside me, and I glanced over at her. “What are _you_ laughing about?”

“I know you totally want to _get it on_ with Jake.” She slurred some of her words together, looking over and meeting my eyes.

“Is it that obvious?”

“Yeah, you’re practically drooling over him there, D-Stri.”

“Maybe he’ll finally notice how I’ve been looking at him,” I replied, rolling my eyes and bringing my cup to my lips to take a drink, displeased to find I barely had any left.

“He’s cute, but he's so fucking clueless,” Roxy laughs. “It’s sad. Really, I feel bad for you. Janey has been trying to find a way to tell him that she likes him for two weeks or so.”

“She has?” I feel a pang of jealousy. “I never noticed.”

“Neither did fuckin’ Jake. No need to get your panties in a twist over Jane’s little crush, though, my gaydar is off the charts whenever English comes around.”

“That’s reassuring,” I grumble, even more displeased when the song ends and Jake stops his dancing.

“It is, my gaydar never lies.”

I snorted, and stood up. “I need more of whatever's in this cup if I’m gonna last another couple of hours with Jake’s obliviousness.”

Roxy raised her cup. “Godspeed.”

“Thanks.”

I made my way back over to the drinks and helped myself. I was about to turn to head back to my seat, when I felt a hand pressed against my lower back. I glanced over my shoulder and see Jake. He’s standing so close to me I can feel his hot breathing against the nape of my neck. I turn to face him.

“Why haven’t you been dancing with me, Strider?” Jake asked.

“I don’t dance. And can’t you see?” I raised my cup up in his direction. “I’m too preoccupied with drinking away my sorrows.”

Jake laughed. “Why have sorrows when you have a smoking hot date like me at an _awesome_ party, you goofoff?”

Was he flirting with me? Even if he was, there was a 85% chance that it was the weed and alcohol speaking, but I didn’t care, I decided to push it a bit further, see where it went.

“I was unaware this was a date,” I say cautiously, and I watch Jake’s face twist into a smirk, and then I felt his index finger run lightly down my chest through my shirt, stopping just above the waistband of my jeans, if not dipping into it ever-so-slightly.

“It depends,” he murmured, and the softness of his voice sends a shiver dancing up and down my spine. “Do you _want_ this to be a date?” He was teasing me.

“It depends,” I replied smugly. Two could play at the teasing game. “Do you _want_ me to want this to be a date?”

Jake giggled, and that was a bit unfair. Usually, his giggles were innocent and lighthearted, but this one was different. It was that of a villain's; scheming, mischievous, the opposite of innocent. At this point I was rock hard.

He tugged at the waistband of my jeans, looking up at me with steaming, hot green eyes. “Maybe I do. You’ll just have to do something to make it worthwhile.”

“What do you have in mind?” I asked. He and I were nearly pressed against each other at this point. I could feel his breath against my lips when he spoke, and our noses were centimeters apart. I was hardly worried about who might’ve been watching us. Cronus wasn’t here (Eridan had a tennis match. Tennis. Who the fuck plays tennis?) but his words still made me want to proceed with caution. I knew a crap ton of his goons were here, just waiting to spill the most recent, irrelevant-to-their-own-lives gossip.

_“You’d best not let your Bro find out, Chief.”_

Jake must’ve been thinking something similar, because his eyes leave mine for a split second before they return, just as beautifully lust-filled as before.

“I say we get the fuck out of here and head back to my place, and have a little party of our own.” He grinned up at me, and at this point I was too horny and drunk to worry about anything but getting back to his house as quickly as possible, because a one-on-one ‘party’ with Jake sounded pretty fucking great at that moment.

I gave one last glance to Roxy before Jake and I booked it, and in the back of my mind I could hear her saying ‘ _See? I told you. You gotta trust in the gaydar. Congrats on getting laid._ ’

It was hard not to sprint to the car, but the second Jake and I hopped in, I was speeding away as fast as I could.

* * *

 

The second we were on the road, I was already thinking up excuses to tell Bro about why I didn’t come home.

I could’ve told him Jake was sick and needed some assistance after drinking and smoking so much, or I could’ve told him that Jake and I went over to his place to watch a movie or something. But I would definitely not be telling him what actually happened that night, because that would release a plethora of steaming hot shit, and I would be on the receiving end of it.

At the moment, however, the last thing on my mind was Bro, and the first thing on my mind was how fucking good Jake English’s lips felt on mine.

The second Jake and I walked into his house, the hottest, sloppiest make out of my entire life ensued. I was afraid that his grandma might have heard us, but he ensured me it was impossible to wake her up once she’d fallen asleep.

We’d somehow made our way into his kitchen. I boosted him up onto the counter, and his legs wrapped around my waist automatically. I could feel him poking me through his jeans, right above my belly button, and that just made me even more eager. My lips move to his neck, and he tilts his head back, resting it against a cabinet. He let out a breathy moan that sent tremors of arousal all through my aching body. Yes, my body physically _ached_ for him, and it wasn’t until that moment that I’d realized just how much I’d always wanted him.

I trail wet, hot kisses up and down his neck, and his fingers run lightly up my back until he digs his fingernails into my shoulders almost desperately. The pain only mingles with the pleasure, and they soon become great friends. Throughout the night, I’d had my suspicions regarding if he actually wanted me back, but when I felt his delicate lips against my neck, anxiously sucking and panting, I was left devoid of doubt.

“I think we should retire to the bedroom, Strider,” Jake murmured against my skin.

I nodded, and stepped away from him, his hands sliding out from under my shirt.

“Let’s go.” The words fell from my mouth effortlessly, and he led me upstairs to his room.

The lights were off when we walked in, and Jake or I didn’t bother with turning them back on before his door was closed and our hands were on each other again, as if they were magnetically attracted, and our skin was metal.

Jake and I kissed again, and it wasn’t gentle or kind or sweet, but eager and relentless. It tasted like weed and whisky, and my drunken senses couldn’t have imagined anything better. The hot blood coursing beneath his skin lifted his musky aroma that always reminded me of pine trees, but now it was interlaced with sweat and white-hot lust. I could feel his heart thumping against my chest, and I knew he wanted me just as much as I wanted him.

We made our way over to his bed, and I watched him unsheathe his body. Jake English was all curves, dips, and hollows, with a toned chest and arms. The dim light from the moonlight shining into his room casted shadows over the dips in his body. He took his glasses off and set them on his nightstand, and I did the same with mine .I pulled my own shirt off, tossing it aside. Next came my jeans and boxers, and I could feel his eyes locked on mine. I took extra long to unbutton and unzip my pants, just to torture him. The look in his deep, green eyes was ferocious and anxious, and it was enough for me to take him right then and there.

I leaned over him to press a benign kiss to his lips. Our lips moved softly and lightly together, and I could feel his hand tracing the contours of my chest and stomach lightly, his fingers just barely grazing over my skin.

I pulled away, and his eyes are still locked on mine, the same, hungry look behind the otherwise placid emerald.

Jake leaned over to pull open a drawer in his nightstand, and he retrieves a small bottle of lube. He offered it to me, and I took it.

I slathered the lube onto my fingers, and kept my eyes on Jake as he positioned himself comfortably. “If it hurts, let me know,” I murmured softly, but between how drunk I was and my sexual haze, the words came out slurred.

“I will,” Jake replied quietly, tilting his head back, moving his legs to wrap around my waist.

Slowly, I pushed my fingers into him, keeping my eyes locked on his face for any signs of pain or discomfort. Jake let’s out a soft moan, pushing into my finger, and I’m reminded of just how eager he actually is. He let out another strained moan as I pushed a second finger into him, and it’s not long before I’m thrusting my fingers into him at a quickening pace. Jake rolled his hips into my hand and arched his back; the facial expressions he was making were making my head spin.

I eventually pulled my fingers out of him and quickly moved to slather the lube onto my cock, eyeing him.

“Are you sure you actually want this?” I asked him. “Or is it just the weed talking?”

Jake chuckled. “I don’t have to be high to know I want you to fuck me, Dirk.”

Huh, Jake was a lot more forward when drunk and high. I’d have to take him to more parties.

I leaned in to press another kiss to his lips as I aligned the tip of my cock with his entrance. I slowly pushed into him, making sure not to rush into it and hurt him. I noticed that he winced, and slowed my pace even more. Once he seemed less tense, I pushed further into him, and the squeaks of pain soon turned into low, throaty moans of pleasure, which was exactly what I wanted to hear. Jake pushed into me eagerly, and I gradually began thrusting into him, which elicited more moans from him, but now they were less in his throat and higher pitched. My bare skin clapped against his, and within moments, our skin was slick with sweat.

Jake was arching his back, rolling his hips in time with my thrusts as they started to grow quicker and harder than before. As the friction between us proceeded to grow with each roll of Jake’s hips, I felt a warm sensation pool up in the pit of my stomach, and I tilted my head back, letting out a lewd moan of my own.

Jake’s hands found my sides, dragging his fingernails down my skin, eventually resting and digging into my hips. He angled himself so I would pound into just the right spot each time I thrusted into him, and the lascivious whines coming from him were euphonious.

That was when I heard Jake whisper “Harder, p-please”, under his breath, and my thrusts became rougher and more eager with each passing moment, his fingernails digging further into my hips. I was sure that they were drawing blood, but I was also sure that I would be satisfied with the marks he was leaving.

The heat in my stomach was becoming too much to handle, and I was sure I was close. Judging by the strain in Jake’s voice and the redness of his face, he was, as well.

“Jake,” I managed between pants. “I’m close.”

“I am, as well,” Jake squeaked. My breath caught when his lips pressed against my throat.

I knew I couldn’t hold back for any longer, and I let out a hoarse groan as I released into Jake, and he followed soon after, spilling out onto his own stomach.

Exhausted, I pulled out slow enough to ensure that I didn’t hurt Jake, and collapsed onto the bed next to him.

A soft sigh slipped through Jake’s lips as he attempted to steady his breathing again.

We laid next to each other in silence for the next passing moments. It was probably only a minute or two, but it felt like an eternity. Jake’s room smelled like sweat and sex, and I could still hear the desperate moans escaping Jake’s lips echoing throughout the room, trapped within the walls surrounding us. I still felt a bit uneasy. Jake and I were both highly under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and while I knew the sex meant something to me, what if Jake woke up and regretted it? I tried to wipe the thought from my mind, and cursed myself mentally for never being able to enjoy myself. I felt my eyelids grow heavy, the soft breathing from Jake next to me threatening to lull me to a deep, peaceful sleep.

“Wow,” Jake said softly after what felt like forever, causing my eyelids to lift once again.

“Yeah, wow.” I agreed quietly, and Jake rolled over onto his side to face me.

I did the same, and we laid there, studying each other like we were storybooks. Jake was definitely a storybook, in my opinion. His smile was like sunshine, his laugh was like music. It was as if he was some fearless, ethereal being, with a cute accent and a super nice ass. In general, Jake English was unbelievably, Earth-shatteringly beautiful. He’d lured me in, and now I felt as if I was wrapped around his finger. He did it so easily as well, and then I realized that I didn’t even think he was trying to. He may have set the trap, but I walked right into it, aimlessly, but voluntarily all at once. His eyes examined my face, and I wondered what he could be thinking about.

Jake moved to pull his blankets over the two of us, and I decided that tomorrow morning, I would shower with him.

Jake’s head rested on my chest, his arms looped around me, like I was his personal body pillow or something. I didn’t mind. His short, light breaths reminded me of an autumn breeze; drifting through the air and rustling the tree’s leaves softly, like the gentle touch of a mother running her fingers through her child’s hair. I fell asleep to the sound of Jake breathing, the placid waters of a small, forest stream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roxy in the background: congrats on the frick


	7. Cronus Ampora

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha ayye im sorry this took so long to post i just went through a really rough patch in my life but things should be better now.
> 
> Anyways before you read this chapter, keep in mind, it includes violence and the f slur.
> 
> I hope you enjoy, and as always remember to feel free to leave feedback/send me asks on tumblr (which is in my bio)/etc. 
> 
> ENJOY!

_Jake_

 

I wake up to the sound of Dirk’s breathing and the warmth of his body pressed against mine. His strong arms are wrapped around me tightly, and I feel safe. The sound of birds chirping outside of my window fills my room, which tells me it’s probably early afternoon. The golden sunlight shines through my windows, casting its rays onto my bed softly, warming my legs up. And then I notice that my curtains are open, which means my grandma has probably been in my room since Dirk and I went to sleep. Fuck, that will be something to explain.

I shift in Dirk’s arms and hear him groan quietly, and then do I realize how much my head is pounding. And then I remember how much I drank and how much weed I smoked the night before. He doesn’t wake up, but I can tell he’s stirring. I glance over at the clock on my nightstand. It’s 11:30 in the morning.

I turn in his arms to face him, and he looks so much more peaceful when he’s asleep than when he’s awake. Of course, he always manages to keep a calm and collected façade when he’s awake, but he’s always so tense and short. Now, he looks like he’s truly at peace, no need to uphold any reputation or impress anyone. He’s himself.

I want to wake him up and tell him about how spellbindingly impressive that quimstick of his is, but I figure that saying things like that may be a bit strange, so I settle on slowly slipping away from him. His arms are strong and warm around me, and don’t want to let me go. Eventually, I escape from his grasp, a soft sigh escaping his thin lips.

I make my downstairs, rubbing my temples. At some point in the night, I must’ve gotten dressed in a pair of boxers and Dirk’s tee shirt. It’s a bit big on me, hanging loosely over my shoulders and exposing some of my collarbone. I don’t mind. The smell of sex still lingers on me, interlaced with the distinctive, masculine smell of Dirk.

I walk into the kitchen to be greeted by a small note set on the counter. It’s written in dark green pen.

 

_Glad you had fun last night. I’ll be out shopping until later. -Grandma_

 

Music is playing from my grandma’s portable radio on the other side of the kitchen. It was almost always on. I can’t quite make out what is being played, but it’s something light. It reminds me of summer.

I don’t know if she’s oblivious and doesn’t realize my night was filled with sweet barneymugging between Dirk and I and genuinely saying she’s glad I had fun, or if she’s hinting at just that with _that_ sort of fun. I hope it’s the first, because that was probably the only time I’d ever brought someone home for such activities.

I decide on making some coffee to help with my hangover. Usually I drink tea in the mornings, but today I decide coffee would help with my current state. I walk to the coffee pot, my bare feet pitter-pattering against the floor softly, loud in the peaceful house.

I hum to myself nonchalantly, turning the coffee pot on and prepping the beans when I feel arms wrap around me from behind, lips pressed to the nape of my neck, hot breath against my skin making me shiver.

“Good morning,” Dirk murmurs against my neck. His voice is soft and scratchy.

“Good morning, Dirk. I was just making some coffee,” I reply with the same amount of softness, turning around to face him. I slide my arms around his neck. His eyes are a bit clouded over with sleep, half-lidded.

Dirk’s hands ghost down my sides and grab my hips, pulling me against him. I allow myself to be moved.

“Could you by any chance take a break?” Dirk asks, raising an eyebrow. I then notice that he’s not wearing his sunglasses, and the vibrant color of his orange eyes are so much more apparent in the morning light. “I was wondering if you’d like to take a shower, because we both smell a bit sweaty and gross.”

“This is true,” I reply, shooting him a small smile. “You make a compelling argument.”

“What do you say, English?”

“I say sure, Strider.” I turn to shut off the coffee pot before turning to face him again. “Shall we go?”

“We shall. Lead the way.”

I lead him to my bathroom, feeling a bit nervous because my shower isn’t necessarily big, so we’ll virtually have to be pressed up against each other.

Dirk is immediately undressing. His shirt was already gone, so he begins sliding his boxers off. I feel my face heat up, and to avoid embarrassing myself I turn to the shower to start the water. When I do, I let the water run over my hand to make sure it isn’t too hot. I take my boxers off and toss them to the side, followed by Dirk’s shirt.

“Not bad, English. I couldn’t really see you very well last night, but I kno” I hear Dirk say, which makes my heart skip a beat. I’m not looking at him, but I can feel his eyes on me. It doesn’t make me feel uncomfortable, but it makes me feel vulnerable, and I can’t decide if I like it or not.

I turn to face him, and I can see that obnoxious smirk of his making a home on his face. My eyes wander Dirk’s pale body, his toned stomach, firm chest, and prominent collarbones cast shadows and create dips in all the right places of his body.

“You’re not too shabby either.” I reply, my voice shaking a bit more than I wanted from the nervousness.

Dirk laughs, gesturing for me to get into the shower. I climb in, shivering when the hot water ran against my otherwise cool skin. Dirk is soon to follow me, closing the shower curtain behind him.

I can’t help but look down at Dirk, my cheeks immediately heating up and to my horror, probably turning tomato red. “Zooterkins, Dirk. That’s quite the impressive kidney-buster you have there.” I curse myself internally for actually saying something about Dirk’s dick out loud.

Dirk laughs, and I’m ready to drown myself.

“I don’t really know what that means, but I think you just said something about my dick.”

“It’s not important what I said. Could you please wash my hair?”

Dirk nods, but he still has that certain smirk on his lips that makes my heart beat like crazy and my mind explode.

I hand him the shampoo and turn my back to him, closing my eyes. I feel his hand ghost down the curve of my back, and I shudder, leaning into him, his bare skin rubbing against mine, the warm water running over bodies.

His hands then move to my head as he pours the shampoo into my hair and massages my scalp gently, but I can tell he’s moving his fingers so slowly to be sensual, as well. I lean into his touch, and barely process it when he whispers a soft “rinse” into my ear. I walk into the water, my eyes locked on his as he looks down at me. His eyes are hot and expectant.

I can’t help myself, so I press myself against him, kissing him gently. He wraps his arms around my waist, and I let my eyes fall shut.

Dirk pulls away from me, and I look up at him.

“Could you wash mine?”

I nod and reach for the shampoo. Dirk turned around and I took a moment to look him down, the curve of his back perfectly arched.

I reach up to lather the shampoo in his hair, which was a lot softer than I originally thought it would be. I hear him yawn, and I press a gentle kiss against the nape of his neck once he’s ready to rinse his hair. We stand there a moment, me, pressed against Dirk’s back, and him, standing silently under the water. The sound of the water falling against the shower floor is comforting, and so is the slow rising and falling of Dirk’s shoulders as he breathes.

After a while, Dirk turns around to face me once again, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips. His lips are soft and warm, and I’m sure I could find them even if I were blindfolded, wandering through a crowd full of people.

“Do you think you’ll tell your grandma about all of this?” Dirk asks after a moment, his lips only centimeters from mine. I can still feel the warmth of his breath.

“Most likely,” I say, my eyes locked on Dirk’s lips. “Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’m just curious.”

There is another moment filled with silence.

“Do you think you’ll tell Bro?” I ask him.

There’s more silence, and Dirk tenses. His lips form a thin line. Now that he’s not wearing his sunglasses, I can see how his eyes changed from calm and lust-filled to fearful and closed off in a matter of seconds.

“Not even if I had a gun pressed against my head.” Dirk says sharply, and I almost flinch at the sudden intensity of his voice, cutting through the silence like a sword.

“All right,” I reply softly, my eyes locked on the wall behind him.

“Speaking of Bro,” Dirk says, his voice a bit softer, but with a lingering sense of hostility laced within his words. “I should probably get home soon.”

I nod, turning to turn the water off. The bathroom suddenly becomes silent, the sound of water from the shower head tapping against the floor. I don’t try to kiss Dirk again, because I feel like he isn’t in the mood. Instead, I step out of the shower, shuddering at the sudden coolness hitting my skin. I grab a towel from the counter and rub my hair before wrapping it around my waist, watching Dirk as he does the same. I offer him a small smile, and he returns it, however it’s a bit sad, much like many things about him.

We return to my room and he gets dressed in his jeans and tee shirt again. I change into some shorts and my _Smiths_ tee shirt.

Dirk and I eventually make our ways to the living room, where he pulls me close and kisses me so sweetly I almost forget how cold he could be. He pulls away with a small smile on his lips, but now those stupid sunglasses are covering his eyes, so I can’t see exactly what he feels.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, all right?” Dirk says.

“Yeah, of course, Strider.” I reply, nodding, trying not to kiss him again.

He gives me another smile before turning to open the door.  
“Oh, and, Jake?” He says hesitantly, looking over his shoulder at me.

“What is it?”

Dirk is silent for a moment before turning back to the door. “Never mind.” He murmurs, opening the door and shutting it behind him, leaving me in my living room, thousands of possibilities regarding what those unspoken words could’ve been.

* * *

 

_Dirk_

When I got back to my house, it was silent. I knew that Dave was at the record store, and Bro was either sleeping or at work. I glanced out the window and noticed Bro’s car wasn’t in the driveway, so I was alone.

I walked into my room and laid down on my back, staring at the ceiling, my arms folded under my head. For once, I let myself relax. I closed my eyes, and allowed my mind wander to Jake, and how green his eyes were. I thought about how I might've been in love with him, and almost stupidly told him about it. I thought about how perfect his body felt against mine, how soft his lips were. I thought about how I wanted to do the night before all over again, how I wanted nothing more but to have him all to myself for another night.

Suddenly, I heard the phone ringing from the kitchen. When I opened my eyes, my room was dark, the only light coming from the moonlight and streetlights outside of my room. I must have fallen asleep.

I rolled out of bed, noticing that Bro’s light bedroom light was on now when I saw it from under the door, so I assumed he was home now. His door was closed so I didn’t feel like giving him a warm, brotherly greeting-as if I ever would, anyways.

When I got to the kitchen, I flipped the light on and answered the phone, running my hand over my face and rubbing my eye.

“Hello?” I asked groggily.

“Dirk,” It was Jade, and I could instantly hear that her voice was shaking and frantic, and I suddenly felt my stomach turn. “I’m so glad you answered. I- I just- Dirk, you need to come down to the shop now.” She was speaking quickly and urgently, desperation hiding in her voice. I could tell she was on the verge of tears.

“Woah, take it easy,” I said as calmly as I could, in hopes of calming her down. “What’s going on?”

“I- Dave and I have been working all day and things were going fine and we were about to close up and then-” Jade’s voice cracked, and she sobbed into the phone.

“Jade, you’re gonna have to try to calm down,” I said. “What happened?”

 “It’s Dave,” Jade said finally, her voice unsteady. “Cronus decided to stop by. Please, Dirk, come down here and get him to leave.”

“I’m on my way.” I said. I hung up the phone and grabbed my keys in a flash. I hurried out to my car and sped down the street. I could see that Jake’s bedroom light was on from my peripheral vision.

When I made it to the shop, I pulled up to the curb under the streetlight standing on the sidewalk in front of the place. I saw Cronus and Dave, and they were yelling at each other. Jade was desperately trying to get them away from each other, but Cronus paid no mind to her, giving Dave a hard shove into the brick side of the building.

I hopped out of my car, slamming the door behind me. Cronus jumped, turning to face me. He was about to open his mouth, his lips twisting into that disgusting sneer of his, but he wasn’t able to say much when my fist collided with his nose. I heard a loud crack, and I felt hot pain dance up and down my arm. I gritted my teeth.

Cronus stumbled, falling onto his back with a thud. Dave looked over at me, and I could see that his eye was dark and swollen, his lower lip bleeding. He wasn’t wearing his sunglasses.

“Touch my brother one more fucking time, asshole!” I screamed down at Cronus, giving him a hard kick in his ribs.

Cronus winced, looking up at me. His hand was pressed against his nose, his face contorted with pain.

“You’ll fucking pay for this, Strider,” Cronus spat. “You and your faggot brother.”

I felt something inside of me snap, red clouding my vision and anger drowning my thoughts.

“Shut the fuck up!” I yelled at him. “I’ll fucking kill you!” I could see people in other stores surrounding us opening the front doors of their shops to get a look at the scene. I knew that because I was cursed with living in a small town, word of this would be spread like wildfire by tomorrow afternoon. I didn’t realize I was crying until I felt a tear roll down my cheek.

Jade grabbed my arm desperately, attempting to pull me away.

“It isn’t worth it,” She said softly.

I remained silent for a moment, my head pounding and my hand throbbing. Cronus’s eyes were still locked on me, his hand over his nose now covered in blood. The red liquid rolled down his face, over his lips.

“Let’s go,” I said dryly, turning away from Cronus and back to my car. Dave followed close behind, and it hurt me how skittish and scared he was acting. Surprisingly, Cronus didn’t say anything to me as I left, but instead sat and watched as Dave climbed into the front seat of my car.

“Are you gonna be okay going home by yourself?” I asked Jade.

Jade nodded reluctantly. “Yeah, I’ll be okay. Thank you, Dirk.”

 “Of course,” I said. “Call me if you need anything.”

“I will. I’ll see you tomorrow at school.”

I watched Jade as she walked to her car, which was parked in front of mine. I drove away without another glance at Cronus.

I drove in silence. Dave was looking out the window, his sunglasses in his hand, which was resting on his lap. Judging by his silence, he was ashamed.

“What did he say to you?” I asked after a while, the only noise being the sound of the car’s engine.

Dave was silent for a while, picking at his fingernails.

“He accused me of hooking up with John,” Dave paused, his voice scratchy and uneven. “He called me a fag and shit like that. He hit me really hard, and I got him back, of course, but…” His voice trailed off, and he gritted his teeth, more tears forming in his eyes. “...He’s stronger and faster than I am.”

I knew it was hard for him to admit this; a Strider’s biggest fear is being the weaker, smaller man. Ever since Dave and I were young, Bro had taught us to always be the ones on top, the ones who were better than everyone else. The ones everyone envied. We didn’t like admitting when we weren’t.

“Don’t let him get to you,” I said softly, but Dave didn’t respond. “He’s just pissed you can get dick and he can’t.”

That made him laugh, which made me smile to myself.

“Fish dick.” Dave said, and we both started cracking up.

“Fuck...” I breathed once our laughter died down.

“Hey, Dirk?” Dave asked.

“Yes, Dave?”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“I’ll give you a straight answer.”

“All right, here goes.” Dave said. “Why are we so fucking awesome?”

I didn’t even have to think of an answer.

“Dave, that’s the best fucking question anybody ever asked.”


	8. Intermission #1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayye haha so ive been really stressed with graduation and relationshiop shit so im sorry this chapter is so short, because it is consider it kind of an intermission chapter. (There will be more, they'll mainly be either comedic relief or johndave chapters.) 
> 
> I promise ill be writing a lot more this summer once i graduate - i wish the world would go away so i could write about the gays. 
> 
> Anyways, remember to leave feedbacks, send stuff to my tumblr, url in my bio blah blah blah.
> 
> ENJOY!

_ Dirk _

 

At school the following day, no one gave Dave or I any shit like I was expecting them to. For the most part, Cronus’s goons didn’t bother us, aside from the occasional glare or sneer, but we got those from them all the time anyways. I didn’t see Cronus around at school, so I assumed he wasn’t there; due to his injuries, or maybe he was too embarrassed to show his face in the halls. Or both.

Dave mainly hung out with John, Jade, and Rose, and I was with Jake and Roxy. I would’ve hung out with Jane, too, but on Mondays we had different lunch and free periods. 

Jake, Roxy and I sat outside under the tree next to the small koi pond on our campus. Jake sat criss-crossed, eating a sandwich his grandma probably made for him. Roxy laid down, her head in Jake’s lap. I sat with my back against the tree trunk, eating some Doritos I bought from the vending machine by the biology lab.

“Blimey…” Jake said thoughtfully after I explained what happened the night before. “What bone does Cronus even have to pick with you?”   


“I’ve got no clue,” I admitted. “Maybe it’s because he’s jealous of how good Bro and I are at football, but I don’t really see why that’s  _ our  _ fault.”

“What do they have against Dave?” Jake took a bite out of his sandwich. 

I shrugged. “Dunno. They think he’s gay.”   


“Is he?” Jake asked.

“Well, yeah,” I said. “But I don’t see why that’s their problem.”

“It’s not.” Roxy said, grabbing Jake’s sandwich from him. She took a bite. “They’re just stupid, looking for reasons to stir the pot because they can’t find anything better to do with themselves.”   


Jake took his sandwich back. “Did you beat the living daylights out of Cronus?”

“Of course I did. I’m not gonna let people fuck with my brother.” I said. 

“Speaking of Dave being gay, what’s the status on him and Johnny boy?” Roxy asked, grinning over at me.

“Fuck if I know. John’s over at our house all the time, but I think he’s oblivious to Dave’s feelings.” I shrugged.

“Hah!” Roxy giggled. “Just like how Jake was!”

Jake blushed, looking away from Roxy and down at his food. “I didn’t think someone like Dirk would ever like me.”

“Well, he does.” Roxy grinned, which made Jake blush even more. I smiled to myself. “Strider’s  _ totally  _ got the hots for you.”

“Oh, Jesus in the morning, Rox!” Jake’s face was tinted dark red behind his tanned skin. 

Roxy laughed, grabbing Jake’s sandwich again. I laughed too, tossing a dorito at Roxy. She caught it and placed it in her mouth with a sly grin. 

“You’re a lucky guy, Strider.” Roxy said, glancing at Jake and then back to me. “You better treat him right.”   


* * *

 

That day, we had a meeting about sexual education. Basically, all of the boys would split away from the girls and we’d sit on the bleachers at the gym and listen to a lecture about STD’s and protection and abstinence and other stupid shit we already knew about. I'd been through three of these stupid talks so far, and they were so annoying and over-the-top that they only motivated me to screw as I pleased even more. 

After lunch, Jake and I bid Roxy farewell, and she wished us good luck because she knew how stupid high school boys are.

Jake and I took a seat toward the middle of the bleachers, and Dave and John filled in the seats behind us. I felt a tap on my shoulder and Dave leaned in to whisper in my ear. 

“John got braces,” Dave said. “I didn’t know I could be so swooned by some wires on someone’s teeth.”   


“Chill,” I laughed, and Dave rolled his eyes, sitting back in his seat. 

“I feel like they look bad,” I heard John say. “And I have a stupid lisp now.”

“They don’t look bad for the millionth time.” Dave replied.

Jake’s hand found mine, and we laced our fingers, discreetly hiding them between us. 

That was when some guy with a clipboard and a stack of papers walked out in front of all of us, a white black board being wheeled out behind him by one of the students.

“All right, everyone, my name is…” And I basically lost him after that. I tuned the guy out the entire time. Jake was rubbing small circles into my wrist, and it was sending chills up and down my spine. 

About thirty minutes in, I heard a shuffling from behind me, and the guy stopped mid-sentence. 

“Yes, you in the sunglasses?” He said.

“Yes, hi,” It was Dave, and I immediately buried my face in my hand. “I have a question.”

“All right,” The presenter said. “Go ahead.” 

“Can people give blow jobs even if they have braces?” 

The entire room burst into laughter, even Jake was giggling to himself. I heard John slap Dave’s shoulder. “ _ DAVE _ !”

The presenter looked furious and I was sure Dave just earned himself a detention, but I knew it didn’t matter to him because he was probably pretty pleased with himself.

“Very funny,” The guy said once the laughter died down. He continued on with his lecture dryly. I turned to look at Dave and grinned up at him. 

“You’re an asshole.” I said.

Dave laughed. “I know.”

I glanced over at John, and I could see the obvious blush on his cheeks. He smiled despite his embarrassment, and he rested his head on Dave’s shoulder.


	9. Dammit, Janet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got this done early check me out being on top of shit. Hopefully this early update makes up for how slow ive been :O
> 
> Before you read this chapter know that it is nsfw!!
> 
> As always please feel free to leave feedback and all that jazz.
> 
> ENJOY!

_ Dirk _

_ September 30 _

 

The days went by quickly, and finally all of the commotion revolving around the fight between Cronus and I died down. Eventually, Cronus came back to school, but I didn’t get any more dirty looks or sneers from him. In fact, it seemed like he was avoiding me completely, which made me happy because that probably meant he felt threatened. The thing about Cronus was he talked a lot of bullshit but was way too cowardice to actually act on it. However, I was a bit surprised when he actually ended up pulling something on Dave; but the incident only made me more possessive and made me keep an even closer eye on my little bro. 

Dave and John had been spending more and more time together, much like Jake and I. We’d gone on more dates since the party, but we never got around to screwing again, probably because we’d both been so busy. Now that we were getting closer to Halloween, practice in drama club had been up the ass so we could get  _ Rocky Horror  _ perfected for the showing we’d have on the day. Along with that, I still had football practice to deal with, and I had to start considering which colleges to apply to that would satisfy Bro. 

Bro had been hanging around the house less and less, which wasn’t necessarily uncharacteristic. He was either working more time at his job or fucking my principal, which made me gag just thinking about it. I was pretty sure that 80% of boys in my school had a boner for Her Imperious, even I did at one point in my sophomore year until I realized she’d been fucking around with my older brother since I started going to the goddamn school. 

I sat in a seat in the auditorium, waiting for the current scene we were practicing to end. We’d gotten through the first few scenes of the show, but we still hadn’t gotten to the scene when Frank N. Furter brings Rocky to life. Currently, we were going over the first scene again, because that day, Kankri insisted on joining Karkat to co-direct that day and demanded he see the show from the beginning so he could “straighten it out a bit”. Karkat, though extremely apprehensive, allowed him to, but I could tell he knew he made the wrong choice when he let out a loud groan whenever Kankri stopped the show to provide some “helpful constructive criticism” - which was after pretty much every line that was said. 

Jake sat next to me, his legs propped up on the top of the chair in front of us. So far, these rehearsals had been a complete waste of time, but at least I got to see Jake in his costume, which was basically an extremely skimpy drag outfit. The best part was probably the garters and the fishnet tights, but I wasn’t gonna allow myself to stare. That was a lie, because I totally did. 

I tore my eyes away from Jake’s legs to look back up at the stage, where Kankri stood in the middle with his arms crossed, gesturing at props and people standing on the stage. 

John was standing on the stage next to Roxy, his arms crossed and his foot tapping. John was obviously just as annoyed with Kanrki as Karkat was, but Kankri decided to ignore it. They hadn’t even been able to get through the first few lines of the first song,  _ Dammit, Janet _ , and Kankri had already stopped them probably ten times. 

“Look, all I’m saying is your notes are a bit flat, John,” Kanrki began. “Perhaps it’s only nerves, but this is what show business is, and you’re gonna have to work past it. If you’d like, we could go through a couple of musical warm ups and progressions up and down the notes.”

“Maybe my notes would sound a bit better if you’d quit stopping me after the first line every time I try to sing it.” John replied, glaring at Kankri. 

“All right, all right, fine,” Kankri said with a sigh, stepping off the stage to sit next to Karkat in the first row. “Cue the music!” 

From the booth in the back of the auditorium, Dave started the backing music for the song John was to sing to Roxy. 

“ _ Hey Janet _ ?” John said. 

“ _ Yes, Brad _ ?” Roxy asked.

“ _ I’ve got something to say… _ ” 

I decided to tune it out when Kankri stopped John again.  I pretended to yawn and slid my arm around Jake’s shoulders, and I felt him relax against me, resting his head on my shoulder. 

“I think this is gonna be a while,” Jake murmured quietly, looking down at the stage, where John was making some very angry hand gestures at Kankri. 

“I think so too.” I said quietly, trying my best not to interrupt Kankri and earn myself the same lecture that Rufioh got about being “loud” and “disruptive”. 

“Do you maybe want to get out of here for a bit and do something a bit more worthwhile?” Jake asked, teasingly grazing his hand over my crotch, which made me shift in my seat. 

“I don’t know,” I breathed. “After hearing Kankri’s talk about his vow of chastity, I’m kind of inspired.” 

Jake laughed quietly, tugging on my free hand. “C’mon, Strider.” 

When Kankri had his back turned, Jake and I snuck out of the back exit of the auditorium and outside. The school day had ended hours ago, so the daylight was fading quickly, but Kankri insisted we all stayed as late as we could so we could perfect the first scene. We made our way out to my car, immediately climbing into the backseat and the second I laid back Jake was on top of me, kissing me so hard our teeth clicked together. 

I held him by his hips, kissing him back with the same intensity. I could feel him poking me through his wonderfully small, tight, shorts that he needed to wear for his Frank N. Furter outfit. I rolled my hips up into his and heard him moan breathily against my lips. I pulled away from his mouth and began peppering kisses up and down his neck, biting down on his collarbone and sucking gently. Jake tilted his head back and let out a high-pitched whine, clumsily dragging his hips over mine. 

“Kankri’s gonna notice that we’re gone,” I said against his skin, causing him to shudder. 

“Then let’s get this done lickety split.” Jake  murmured, running his hands down my stomach and down to my crotch, fumbling to unbutton and unzip my jeans. 

“I don’t have a problem with that.” I replied, looking up at him. 

Jake eventually began pulling my jeans down, leaning in and taking my cock into his mouth, and I twitched with anticipation. He bobbed his head slowly, swirling his tongue around the tip of my dick. I felt a warm pool form in the pit of my stomach, causing me to shudder.

I moaned softly, squeezing my eyes shut and gripping the car’s seat beneath me. Jake took more of me into his mouth, dragging his tongue up the underside of my cock so slowly and teasingly it was painful. I arched my back and, to my embarrassment, allowed an eager whine to escape my lips, which caused Jake to chuckle. I bit down on my lower lip as Jake moved his hands to grip at my hips, digging his fingernails into my skin. 

He rubbed the tip of my cock with his tongue before bobbing his head again, swirling his tongue around my dick. 

I opened my eyes and looked down at Jake, his eyes shifting to meet mine. He pressed his tongue flat against the underside of my cock, raking his nails up and down my sides so hard I was sure it would draw blood. I felt the warmth at the pit of my stomach grow hotter, too much to hold in any longer.

“J-Jake,” I muttered hoarsely. “I’m close.” 

Jake nodded, pulling away slowly and using his tongue to massage the tip of my cock one last time before using his hand to pump me quickly, finishing me off as I released onto my stomach. Unfortunately, it was right onto my shirt and I wasn’t sure what I was gonna do about that, but my head was reeling far too much for me to think too much of it. I panted heavily as Jake sat back and wiped his mouth, his cheeks tinted a deep red color. 

“I’m sorry about your shirt. I have a sweater in my bag..” Jake  murmured, looking away bashfully.

“That’d be appreciated,” I laughed, sitting up to kiss him.

Jake looped his arms around my neck and kissed me sweetly before pulling away. “Take your shirt off. I’ll be back in a jiffy.” 

And before I knew it, Jake was climbing out of my car, and I got the pleasure of getting another glance at his ass. I saw him run to his own car to retrieve his bag, and I started pulling my shirt off. By the time I was done, he’d returned and was offering me one of his hoodies. 

It was a bit tight on me, but it smelled like Jake so it was pretty easy for me to ignore it. We both decided that Kankri would flip his shit if we were gone any longer, and that they were probably past the first scene at this point. Or at least, we hoped. 

When we walked back into the auditorium, we were pleased to see that the scenes, had indeed progressed, and John and Roxy had moved onto a new song to practice. Kankri had retired from his spot in the middle of the stage back to sitting in the first row of seats with Karkat, one of his legs crossed over the other and his head resting on his hand, watching John and Roxy critically. 

They were already partly through the song and hadn’t been stopped by Kankri yet, and I considered that a good sign. Jake and I took our seats and I glanced up at the booth where Dave was sitting back in his chair, his arms folded behind his head and a lollipop stick hanging out of his mouth. When he noticed my gaze, he pushed his shades down and raised his eyebrows at me, and I rolled my eyes, turning back to the stage. 

John and Roxy didn’t sound bad at all, and I hadn’t realized how good her voice actually was. John on the other hand, not so much, but he was trying, and his and Roxy’s voices mixed well. 

 

_ There's a light, over at the Frankenstein Place. _

_ There's a light, burning in the fireplace. _

_ There's a light, light in the darkness of everybody's life… _

 

The rehearsal ended shortly afterwards, and Jake and I met by his car to say goodnight. He pressed a soft kiss to my lips that made me want a recreation of what we did earlier more than anything. 

“I’ll see you later,” Jake murmured, our lips centimeters away from each other. 

“Yeah,” I said. “I’ll see you.” 

Jake allowed his hands to linger on my shoulders for a moment before slowly sliding them down his arms as he climbed into his car. I watched as he drove off, I watched as the car’s back lights grew smaller and smaller as he drove down the street. 

I made my way back to my car to see Dave leaning against the passenger door. 

“Are you ready to go, Romeo?” He asked, a smirk tugging at his lips. 

“Bite me.” I said as I hopped into the front seat, Dave soon joining me. 

The drive home was comfortably silent, the windows rolled down so the cool, night air blew through my hair. Dave had his arm resting halfway out the window, his head back and his eyes closed. 

There weren’t any other cars on the road, so the town was quiet. Usually this was how weekdays were, the town went to sleep around nine. On the weekends, however, it was always bustling with energy. 

The only time to get peace and quiet then was the ass crack of dawn. I always liked to sneak up to the roof at that time, when the sky was purple and the air was still, when the light was lazy, when the good thoughts of the day hadn’t been stolen yet. 

I pulled into our driveway and glanced at Jake’s house. His bedroom light wasn’t on, but I could faintly see soft flashes of light bouncing off the furniture in the room. He was probably watching some shitty movie, he was probably half asleep, hugging his pillow with his eyes occasionally falling shut. I smiled to myself as I stepped out of my car, but stopped when I noticed that Dave hadn’t even opened his door. 

“Dave? Come on, it’s cold out here and I want to go to sleep.” 

Dave didn’t reply for a moment, his tongue grazing over his lower lip thoughtfully. 

“Why does Bro hate me so much?” 

I was taken aback, so I just stood there studying him for a moment. 

“Bro doesn’t hate you.”   


“Don’t lie,” Dave said tersely, his eyes locked on the windshield under his shades.

“I don’t lie,” I said sternly. “Bro doesn’t hate you. He just shows care in an odd way.”

“Yeah,” Dave laughed bitterly. “Hitting me and calling me shit could be considered pretty odd, Dirk. You’re right about that.” 

I stayed silent for a moment, taking a second to study my little brother. His eyes were sharp and cold, his lips were pursed into a thin line. His hair was sandy, and it fell over his forehead lazily. Light freckles peppered his cheeks and nose. His jaw was sharp, and he had it pushed forward like it always was when he was angry. I’d just then realized how grown up Dave really was. He wasn’t the same Dave with missing front teeth and baby fat, he wasn’t the same Dave obsessed with Spider-Man comics and who put olives on the tips of his fingers and pretended he was an alien. He was grown up. More grown up than he needed to be at his age, which made me feel like shit, because the world was too hard on him, which made him become just as cold as it was.

“I know, and I hate him for that,” I said softly, my eyes not leaving him. “But he’s our brother, and we’re sort of obligated to love him.”

Dave opened his door and hopped out of the car quickly, slamming the door behind him. He made his way towards the front door to walk into our house, shooting me a stoney glare from behind his shades.

“I’ll never fucking love him.” 

With that, he walked inside, slamming the front door behind him so hard the porch light flickered.

I glanced over at Jake’s house again. His room was dark.


	10. Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a Touch Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyye its finally summer vacation and it feels so nice. The only downside is i dont keep track of the days anymore and have completely lost my concept of time but oh well we're good
> 
> Anyways i hope you like this chapter; it was sort of a filler but oh well at least it was cute 
> 
> As always, feel free to send me asks (my tumblr is dirkenstocks), leave feedback, comments, etc etc etc. And thank you to all of the kudos and comments and whatnot!! It makes me so happy to know that you are enjoying this fic! Im sort of making it up as I go lmao rip me. 
> 
> (Also, its 1:30 am and i just finished writing this chapter and im too sleepy to edit it in-depth so if theres any mistakes bare with me ill fix them later) 
> 
> But yeah. THANK YOU, you're all so lovely. As always, 
> 
> ENJOY

_ Dirk _

 

_ October 3rd _

 

Halloween was, in Kankri’s words, “approaching rapidly.” Against Karkat’s will, Kankri decided that he needed to stay around as a co-director, because we all needed a “positive role model and influence when it comes to our acting, and we will not strive under Karkat’s forceful and, at times, crude methods of directing.” Kankri was my age, and here he was acting like a thirty-year-old Hollywood director. None of us were really happy about Kankri’s decision to stay, but we rolled with it because Kankri was admittedly the most qualified to help us get this shit done. He was a helluva lot more organized than the rest of us, and he did have pretty good insights when it came to our acting skills.

Fortunately, we’d made it past the first few scenes of the show, which meant that I had the absolute pleasure to sit back, relax, and watch Jake flaunt around in his tiny shorts and skimpy corset. Unfortunately, the closer we got to the middle of the show, the closer I was to having to be practically naked up on the stage, making an idiot of myself. I really didn’t want to put myself through the hell of social suicide. I knew that the football team would be making an appearance at the show because they had a yearly tradition of making fun of all the drama nerds (I know this because, well, I’d done it before). I also knew that if Bro found out about this shit, I’d never live it down from him either. I already had one of my brothers getting a VIP pass to seeing my embarrassment, I didn’t need both. 

I rubbed my face with a sigh as the music for  _ Sweet Transvestite _ ended, knowing that my time to enter the stage was coming soon.  Karkat turned to look at me from the front row after a few more short scenes ended. 

“Okay, Strider, you’re up. Try to act like you want to be here.” He said tersely before turning back to his notes.  I didn’t have the energy to argue, so I stood up and made my way down to the entrance to back stage. I was greeted by a smiling Jake, which made things just a little bit better. 

“You’ll do a grand job, Strider! Just don’t think about the outfit.” Jake said brightly. 

“Easier said than done.” I replied, probably sounding way more annoyed than I intended to.

Jake’s smile wavered a bit, but he pressed a small kiss to my cheek before returning to the stage wordlessly. I cursed myself mentally because I probably hurt his feelings with my shortness. 

I pushed my thoughts aside as Kankri gave me instructions on how to enter the stage, what kind of expressions to make, how to face the audience but also the rest of the cast members at the same time, the volume my voice had to be so the microphones could pick it up, etc. I took Jake’s advice and tried to ignore my rather unfortunate outfit, but that was kind of difficult when every time I glanced up at the sound booth, I could see Dave hiding a grin behind his hand. 

Once we finished the extremely weird and over dramatic scene of bringing Rocky to life or whatever, we all got into our places for  _ I Can Make You A Man.  _ I enjoyed watching Jake flaunt around and having him basically climb all over me at one point, but I couldn’t push the thoughts out of my head all revolving around what might happen the night of the show. What the football team might do, what Bro might do if he finds out about all of this,  _ especially  _ if he found out about all the sexual things that mine and Jake’s characters do with each other. And then I felt even more stupid, because Striders don’t care about what other people think of them.

Immediately after that song ended, Rufioh’s character, Eddie Ex drove through the wall and after a few lines, he began singing  _ Hot Patootie - Bless My Soul _ . He was actually doing a really great job, and he definitely fit the bill to play his character. The whole leather jacket and motorcycle thing suited him. 

After that song ended, after a few more scenes, it was time for Roxy to sing  _ Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me _ \- except, Roxy wasn’t there that day, which caused Kankri to have an aneurysm. 

“Okay, well, we’re gonna need someone to fill in for Roxy to sing the song today because we  _ must  _ continue on with rehearsal!” Kankri said, a lot more worried than Karkat was, who was simply doodling something on his note page and eating popcorn. 

“Jake can,” Dave said from the soundbooth, grinning wider than he was earlier, and I knew exactly why:  _ Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me  _ is the song that Janet sings to Rocky when she’s practically begging him to fuck her. 

“All right, sure, just get in your places, everyone.” Kankri muttered, and Jake glanced at me with a small shrug and an ‘ _ I’m sorry _ ’ look. We all took our places, and Dave started the music for the song. 

 

_ I was feeling done in, _

_ Couldn't win. _

_ I'd only ever kissed before... _

 

Jake was feigning a sort of femininity and shyness to get into character, but I didn’t really understand why he was trying so hard when he wasn’t even the one who had to sing the song in the actual show. He sang a few more lines, and when the chorus came he crossed the stage to be closer to me, doing things like pressing his hands against my chest, or pressing against me and sliding his fingers down the front of my body- all of the sexual advances made me think of even  _ more  _ reasons why wearing tight, golden booty shorts was extremely unfortunate. 

 

_ Touch-a touch-a touch-a touch me _

_ I wanna be dirty _

_ Thrill me, chill me, fulfill me _

_ Creature of the night… _

 

Jake moved away from me, feigning the same bashfulness that he had been before as he moved onto the next verse. He did all of the things that Kankri directed him to do: sing to both the stage members and the audience, he definitely did a great job at staying in character (even though he wasn’t even playing Janet), and he certainly did a good job at keeping everyone engaged. It was probably, however, mostly due to those hips and that ass of his, and the way he kept moving them so enticingly. 

 

_ Then if anything grows, _

_ While you pose,  _

_ I’ll oil you up and rub you down... _

 

Jake moved closer to me again, and now I was sure he was doing all of this to me on purpose. He could’ve just sung the song and only given it remedial effort, given the fact that he wasn’t even playing this character and he had enough sexual innuendos and songs as his own character. But no, of course he had to work his English Charm no matter what task he’d been put up to. He ran his fingers down the front of my body again before gently grabbing me by my hips as he sang. He looked up at me, and I could see a small, sly smirk tugging at his lips. I definitely would be giving him shit later. 

Practice ended shortly after the song did, and I had to practically run to the bathroom to change so I wouldn’t risk anyone seeing the obvious tent in my extremely, annoyingly tight shorts. I peeled them off of my body and tossed them into my bag, ignoring the previous lecture Kankri had given us about the importance of keeping our costumes in good shape and avoiding wrinkling them. 

I met Jake at the auditorium’s exit, where he greeted me with a smile. He’d washed all of his makeup off, but I could still see some darkness lining his eyes where the eye shadow and eyeliner had been. 

“Howdy, Strider!” Jake greeted me happily. “The night is still young. Would you like to catch a movie?” 

I glanced over at Dave, who was leaning against my car, picking at his nails while John stood next to him, talking his ear off. I was always reluctant to let Dave (or anybody, for that matter) drive my car, but I really wanted to spend some extra time with Jake outside of school and rehearsals, and I figured Dave might’ve wanted some alone time with John. 

“Yeah, sure,” I said. “Wait here, I’ll go tell Dave.”

“Right-o!” Jake hopped into his car and started his engine as I walked over to Dave and John. He looked up at me and I tossed my car keys at him. He caught them, and raised an eyebrow at me. 

“I’m seeing a movie with Jake.” I announced. “You and John can do whatever, just don’t get arrested. I don’t want that shit hanging over my head.”    


Dave shrugged. “Thanks, bro. Have fun at the movies.”   


“Yeah. You have fun, too.” 

And with that, I left Dave and John to join Jake again. I climbed into the passenger seat and buckled up. 

“So what are you in the mood for?” Jake asked as he drove out of the parking lot. 

“I don’t know, just nothing super long or boring.” I replied, watching Jake as he concentrated on the road. His green eyes reflected the passing scenery of downtown, and he licked his lower lip in thought. 

“Hmmm...they’re re-showing some movies from earlier this year, I heard. We can choose from those.” 

“Sounds good.” 

Jake and I eventually made it downtown, spending ten or so minutes trying to find a parking spot because downtown was always crowded on Fridays, and any other day of the weekend. 

We arrived at the theatre and spent a few minutes deciding if we should catch the re-showing of  _ Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi _ or  _ Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone.  _ Jake had already seen both movies over two times, because like any other movie he’d seen, they were “Simply cinematic masterpieces!”

We decided on Star Wars, because Jake thought he saw one of Cronus’s goons go into the theatre where  _ Spacehunter  _ was being shown, and neither of us wanted to deal with that. Jake was a bit disappointed about that, because according to him, the movie had the perfect amount of action and adventure. 

I’d realized Jake really, truly loved adventure more than anything. He even grew up on an island with his grandmother where he lived out in the middle of nowhere and spent countless hours searching the surrounding forests and areas for whatever sort of adventure and thrill he could find. That also explained his awkwardness when it came to socializing and his obliviousness to simple social cues: he grew up on an island with no one but himself and his grandmother. 

I bought some popcorn and soda for Jake and I, which he insisted on paying, but of course I turned him down. We settled into our seats. Surprisingly, there weren’t many people at the showing. I wasn’t complaining, however, because now I knew that if I wanted to steal a quick kiss from Jake, I wouldn’t have to worry about it somehow being seen and getting back to my football team or worse: my brother. 

I put my arm around Jake as the movie previews began. Jake relaxed against me, occasionally taking a few pieces of popcorn and popping them into his mouth. 

After every movie advertisement, Jake would say something like “That looks so good!” or “I  _ need _ to see that one!” Even if the movie looked like an utter piece of shit. It was incredible how the simplest things could excite him. 

Once the lights dimmed and the movie began, Jake quieted down for the most part. Occasionally he’d lean up to whisper “I love this part.” Or something like that in my ear, to which I nodded and said “I do, too.” 

Watching Jake watch movies made me feel happy, which was odd because not many things had that effect on me. He laughed at all the funny parts, even if they weren’t even funny. He cried at all the sad parts, even if he’d seen the film a million times and already knew how it ended. Once, I asked Jake why he loved movies so much, to which he merely shrugged. “I don’t know, Strider. It’s nice to have an escape sometimes, eh?” 

Jake even seemed surprised at how Darth Vader was actually Luke Skywalker’s father. He looked at the screen with wide eyes like he’d never seen the movie before. I wanted to ask him if he actually had seen it. 

Towards the end of the movie, I gently grabbed Jake by his chin and made him turn to face me. He blinked slowly before I leaned in to kiss him. Jake’s eyes fell shut, and he moved his hand to cup my cheek, softly rubbing his thumb against my face. 

Jake kissed me softly and sweetly, and he tasted like the M&Ms I’d bought for him. Our lips moved gently together, his tongue flicking over my lower lip. I took it as an request to open my mouth. His tongue prodded at mine eagerly, and I thought I could feel him attempting to inch closer and closer to me. I almost groaned when the lights in the theater turned back on, and I opened my eyes to see the ending credits of the movie rolling down the screen. 

Jake pulled away, his cheeks tinted a light, rosy color. He smiled bashfully. 

“Unfortunately, it looks like we’ve got to skedaddle, Mr. Strider.” He said softly, his thumb still rubbing gently against my cheek. 

“What’s unfortunate about it?” I asked, a grin upturning my lips. “Now I just have an excuse to take you home with me.” 

Jake nudged me playfully. “Oh, would you quit it?” He asked jokingly, but at this point I could tell he thought my ironically corny pick-up lines were endearing. 

“Shall we?” I asked, standing and offering my hand out to him. 

Jake smiled up at me, grabbing his empty popcorn bag before taking my hand. We made our way back to the theater’s lobby where Jake tossed his trash out and murmured something to me about how he’d have to see the pirate movie  _ Nate and Hayes  _ when it came out, but I wasn’t listening to him because I saw something that made my blood run cold. I quickly let go of Jake’s hand, earning a quizzical look from him. Standing not ten feet away from us was Cronus and the rest of his annoying posse in front of the  _ Spacehunter  _ theatere. 

“What do we do?” Jake whispered. “We can’t leave without passing them.”   


“I don’t know,” I replied. “But Cronus has backup now, so I wouldn’t be able to defend myself as easily as before if a fight broke out or something.”    


“You have me for backup,” Jake offered. 

“I don’t doubt that you could single-handedly kick all of their posh asses, but I wouldn’t put you in that position. Let’s just try to leave and hope they don’t notice us. If we have to make a run for it, I’ll let you know.” 

We began walking towards the exit, ducking our heads low. It was, however, to no avail. I heard one of Cronus’s friends speak up. 

“Hey, Cronus, look. It’s Dirk, the one who beat you up!” 

I heard shuffling from the group, and then a few ugly giggles. I could imagine Cronus’s disgusting sneer. I tried to hold back a gag. 

Jake and I began walking a bit faster, but then I heard an angry sounding, “Hey! Get the fuck back here!”

“Now?” Jake asked.

“Yeah, now.” 

Jake and I completely made a run for it. I could hear footsteps from behind us, so I knew they were following us. I also knew it would be hard to outrun them, because they were on the football team and they were used to the countless hours of running drills we were forced to do. Unfortunately, Jake’s car was another block down due to the congestion of the town, so we still had a ways to go.

“Stop running, you asshole!” That came from Cronus himself, and Jake and I only started running faster. Once we got into Jake’s car, we jumped in as fast as we could. Jake had the engine going and was already pulling out of the parking spot before either of us were buckled up. I noted that Jake would make a great getaway driver. Maybe he’d learned from all the cheesy action movies he watched all the time. 

I leaned out of the car to give Cronus the finger, and he merely cursed at me with another sneer. I laughed to myself, and looked over to see that Jake was laughing with me. I could barely breathe, but I still felt completely satisfied.

Jake leaned in to turn the radio up.  _ Kashmir  _ by Led Zeppelin was playing, and I was sure it was booming throughout the town, drowning out mine and Jake’s breathless laughter as he drove.

 

We made it to Jake’s house a few minutes later, and I decided that I didn’t want to intrude on whatever John and Dave were doing at my place.  I didn’t realize how tired I was until I was stripping down and changing into a pair of Jake’s sweatpants; which were a bit small, but I wasn’t going to complain. 

Jake and I crawled into his bed, and I immediately looped my arms around him. He buried his face in my chest with a soft sigh, and within minutes I he was out.  I fell asleep to his soft breathing, the gentle rise and fall of his chest against me. I figured falling asleep to this for the rest of my life wouldn’t be so bad. 


	11. Sweet Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY FUCK. HEY.  
> As you can see, this fic isnt dead and my procrastinating ass finally finished this chapter and posted it!!! Hooray!   
> Gosh you guys i really am sorry for taking this long. I even got asks about it on tumblr and stuff and i like NEVER get asks on tumblr. A lot has happened since i last updated. I even moved out of state and started a new school. I also joined drama club!! Its lots of fun, i love imagining the homestuck dorks in all the scenarios we’ve gotten into so far. 
> 
> Speaking of homestuck, holy shit is it actually over???? The credits made me so sad omfg. But dirk and jake looked happy so im 100% at peace. Im probably gonna write a oneshot about them. 
> 
> So yeah!! Thank you all for the support, and thank you for getting this fic to 1000 hits! Hopefully ill be writing more consistently. 
> 
> As always you can reach me on my twitter and my tumblr which are both in my bio. Feel free to send me a message if you have some feedback/any questions you have/if you just want to talk!!
> 
> ENJOY!

_ Dave  _

 

October 3rd

 

I was a bit surprised when Dirk let me drive his car and stay home alone with John. Well, he’d have no problem leaving me with John, but it was basically unheard of for him to lend his car to me - or anyone for that matter. 

I wasn’t about to argue however, and I knew exactly why he was so eager to be alone with Jake. He had been spending a lot of time over at Jake’s place, and I knew that they weren’t making macaroni necklaces or playing checkers.

I didn’t mind, though. I was happy that Dirk was happy. I was glad he found someone like Jake to balance him out. Things would continue to go swimmingly as long as Bro didn’t find out about them, but I didn’t think that was really something to worry about; Bro was never home and quite honestly didn’t give a shit about us. Admittedly, it stung. He never wanted to take care of us in the first place, but we didn’t have parents, and he was the last option. 

He never said it to our faces, but I knew that he thought we, like, ruined his life or something. He blamed every misfortune in his life on Dirk and I just because our parents died and he was left to raise us. It’s not like we asked for our parents to die, and it’s not like Bro was our first choice of guardian, anyways. 

Enough of the emo shit.

John was happy to come home with me, and he had a Spanish test and I was always his go-to study friend. I didn’t know why, though, because I hated studying and always got pissed when I was forced to do it. But, if John wanted to do it, I could put my brattiness aside. Plus, I was pretty good at learning things like languages. John usually copied off my notes and tests all throughout middle school, which is probably why he’s so shitty at the class now. 

Once he and I got home, we sat down on the couch. I sat on one end and he sat at the other so he could sit with his legs out, his feet resting on my lap. 

“Okay,” I began, sorting through John’s neatly-done flash cards. “Are you ready to Spanish the shit outta this bitch? Or shall I say  _ puto _ ?”    
John nodded eagerly, grinning widely. “Yeah!”   
“Okay,” I said again, picking a card and examining it. “Let’s start with some easy shit.  _ Me llamo Dave _ .” 

“My name is Dave,” John translated proudly. 

“ _ Perfecto _ ,” I said, flipping to the next note card. “ _ Tanto tiempo sin verte. _ ” 

“Long time no see,” John said before whining quietly. “Dave, c’mon, this is like, sixth grade shit!” 

“I’m just reading  _ your  _ notes, dickwad,” I grinned, tossing a card at him. 

John giggled and threw it back, nudging my thigh with his foot. “Oh, shut up, doofus!” 

I raised an eyebrow in mock surprise, dramatically placing my hand against my chest. “John, language. Think of the children.” 

John laughed lightly, and I may have felt my heart skip one or two beats. John laughed a lot around me - it wasn’t hard to make him do so at all, but every time he did it, it felt like the first. It was like music; soft, light music. It made me think of the sun. 

John glanced down at his notes, and then back up at me. “Do you wanna take a break?” 

I scoffed playfully. “We’ve only just started. Where is your scholarly spirit?” 

John sighed softly, the ghost of a smile on his lips. I studied him from behind my sunglasses. There was obviously something on his mind, and I had no clue what could’ve triggered his sudden change of energy. One moment he was light and cheery, and the next he was tense and seemingly nervous. 

“Yeah,” I said softly, setting John’s notecards down on the floor next to the couch. “Let’s take a break.”

John nodded gratefully, tossing his notebook onto the floor. “What do you want to do?”   
“Wanna go out?” 

John tilted his head to the side inquisitively. “Where?” 

I smiled. “The woods by the school. You know, where we went all the time when we were kids.” 

John grinned lopsidedly, nodding quickly and practically launching himself off of the couch, grabbing his backpack. 

I was sure Dirk wouldn’t want me driving around in his car for more time than what was necessary, but he didn’t have to know. He and Jake were probably getting it on in Jake’s weird ass nerd room, The Hulk staring at them while they have each other’s dicks in their asses. Shit’s nasty. 

I drove as carefully as I would escort the queen of fucking England. I drove that car so smoothly and gently, I might as well have been making sweet, slow love to it. 

Okay, that was a complete and total lie. We took the back way. Long, virtually forgotten dirt roads that Dirk and I discovered on the way home from school once. I wasn’t even sure if the cops knew about this place. Maybe it was invisible to the rest of the town, and only Dirk, John, and I found it. 

When I was younger, Dirk would take me out to the forest. I became so familiar with it, it was like a second home. I memorized every turn, every trail, every path. I even named a few of the trees. I watched them grow. I grew with them. The trees may have considered me a friend. I don’t know. It’d be kind of shitty if they didn’t. I watered them every time I visited, even though Dirk insisted it wasn’t necessary. 

We visited when Bro had his episodes, which was a lot. Especially when I was younger. Sometimes we talked, Dirk would listen to me rant for hours on end, but he would never rant to me. Sometimes we were silent, the buzzing of insects and the wind through the trees doing all of the talking.

After  a while, Dirk stopped commenting on the fact that I watered the trees. I wanted someone to take care of them. I wanted them to know someone cared about them. It sucks when you know someone doesn’t care about you. 

Anyway, enough of turning into an emo seventeen year old on Tumblr. 

I drove Dirk’s car like I was Speed-fucking-Racer. I rolled all the windows down, the wind blowing through my hair, through John’s hair. He was laughing, but I couldn’t hear him over the loud music playing, probably blowing Dirk’s speakers out, and wind. We were playing what we considered to be mine and John’s “song”, which was, of course, Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This). We knew every word. We had mini jam sessions at least twice every week. It changed our lives since it came out. John was singing along to the words now, and I was mumbling along softly, smiling, tapping my finger against the steering wheel. 

 

_ Some of them want to use you _

_ Some of them want to get used by you _

 

It was dorky, I know. But John was smiling, so how could I possibly complain? 

It took us a while to get there, the sun was low on the horizon, orange and yellow bursting from behind the clouds like a fire. John hopped out of the car excitedly, like a toddler about to ransack a toy store. I followed him happily, shoving my hands in my pockets. He led the way, like he always did. He was telling me about something, but admittedly, I wasn’t really listening. I was paying more attention to the way the dim light caught his features, casting soft shadows over his face. 

We made it to our spot after a while of walking. It had gotten kind of cold, and John was obviously bothered by it. He hugged himself, frowning. I could hardly see it due to the fleeting light, but his nose and cheeks were tinted pink.

I shrugged my hoodie and offered it to him. “Hey, nerd,” I said. “Take this.” He glanced over and rolled his eyes.

“C’mon, man, you need that more!” He argued. He always argues.

“Yeah, I’m practically frozen to death here. Obviously.” I pushed the jacket towards him again. “Take it.” 

John hesitantly grabbed it, pulling it on with a sigh. Maybe he was too embarrassed to wear it. 

Don’t wear your best friend’s hoodie, that’s gay. 

Everyone was cursed with the misfortune of disgustingly toxic masculinity, expectations we were all expected to live up to just because we had dicks. 

Don’t cry, that makes you weak. Don’t be nice to your girlfriend, that makes you a pussy. Don’t wear anything lumped in with what is said to be “feminine”, that makes you queer. It was bullshit, and I knew it, but I couldn’t help but be sucked into it all, especially in my household. Especially because of Bro. Maybe Dirk was struggling with it, too, and he’d just gotten better at dealing with it. Or he really  _ did  _ suck at dealing with it, but bottled it up inside. Who was I kidding? We both sucked at dealing with it. We both bottled it up. That was what Striders did. 

John sat down on a soft patch of grass, setting his backpack down next to him. I joined him.

We were silent for a while, listening to the forest go to sleep as the sun dipped behind the horizon. 

“Dave?” John asked.

“Yeah?” I asked.

“Are you afraid of anything?” 

I considered this. Sure, I was afraid of stuff. Puppets, dolls, heights, spiders were some freaky motherfuckers. Some more obvious stuff I didn’t want to think about. But I wasn’t about to tell him that. Striders aren’t afraid of anything. 

“No,” I said simply.

John didn’t believe this. He looked over at me, raising an eyebrow. “You’re kidding, right? Everyone is afraid of something.” 

I shook my head. “Well, I’m not.” 

John frowned. “Oh, come on, Dave. You  _ have  _ to be,” he said, before smiling. “What about ghosts?”   
“Not real.”   
“Snakes?” 

“My brother had a pet snake once.”    
“Okay, what if a gigantic meteor collided with Earth, ending life and the human race as we know it?” He asked, gesturing up at the sky dramatically with both hands. Stars were beginning to peek out behind the thin clouds. 

“It’d probably be for the best.” I nudged his shoulder with mine. “Life and the human race kind of suck, in case you haven’t noticed.” 

John laughed, shaking his head. “There has to be something you’re afraid of.” 

I considered this, my smile fading. 

“Bro.” I said without thinking. The air became tense and heavy, pressing down onto my chest. “I’m afraid of Bro.”    
John didn’t say anything for a while, twiddling his thumbs, biting his lip. 

“You know,” John murmured, “you’re better than him, Dave.” 

I didn’t say anything for a while. The woods were quiet, too quiet, like everything in it was standing by and listening in. “ _ Dave Strider admitted it! He’s fucking pathetic! He can’t stand up for himself or his brother!”  _ Bro wasn’t even the only thing I was afraid of, I was afraid of myself. What I’d become, what I was. I was like an endless puzzle, a labyrinth of  _ what if’s?  _ Of  _ what now’s? _

I had trained myself to fear the world, ever since I was young. To check each behind each corner, look both ways when it came to everything and everything. My games of hide and go seek were never fun, they never made me laugh. They were in the dark, huddled next to Dirk, his hand over my mouth, tears prickling the corners of my eyes. We listened if the footsteps came closer, and when they finally stopped, after we waited just to be sure, we knew the monster had given up, falling into a restless alcohol-induced sleep. 

“I know,” I said quietly. “Everyone is.” 

John rested his head on my shoulder, grabbing my hand. His hands were always so warm, mine were always like ice. It sent chills up my arms, up my spine.

Then the world collapsed on itself.

My mobile phone, which was barely even mobile, rang in John’s backpack where I’d put it just in case before we headed out here. It broke the silence like it was glass, but I was glad, I didn’t want to be left with it anymore.

John unzipped the bag and handed the cell to me. 

I took it, answering the call. “Hello?”

There was shuffling on the other line, a voice breaking through every so often. The already shit service mixed with the service in the woods really wasn’t ideal. 

“Dave!” I finally heard. It was Jake, he was crying, yelling into the phone.

“Woah,” I sat up straight, John looking over with a concerned, inquisitive look on his face.

“It’s Dirk and Bro, you need to come  _ RIGHT NOW _ .”


End file.
